After hearing both the parties regarding the case of nine Congress rebels’ disqualification on Thursday, the Nainital High Court single bench of Justice UC Dhyani adjourned the hearing till May 9. Continuing with the arguments, advocate Amit Sibal representing the Speaker, defended the Speaker’s action, saying that it was in tune with what natural justice demands.
However, senior advocate CA Sundaram who is representing the rebels failed to turn up as the chopper he was aboard failed to land in Nainital due to fire raging in the forest areas of the district. Sibal argued that the Speaker had followed principal of natural justice. He had given enough time to them to present their views of the matter.
He said that except the former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, other rebel MlAs had not given written submissions to the Speaker as asked by him. Hence, it is wrong to say that the Speaker had not followed principal of natural justice, the counsel pleaded.
It should be mentioned here that nine rebel Congress leaders- former CM Vijay Bahuguna, Harak Singh Rawat, Shailarani Rawat, Subodh Uniyal, Shailendra Mohan Singhal, Pradeep Batra, Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’, Amrita Rawat and Pranav Champion- had challenged the Speaker’s action to disqualify them from Assembly in the High Court. Rebel MlAs had moved High Court on March 30, challenging their disqualification on March 27.