Pilot files caveat; Gehlot writes to PM alleging plot to topple Raj Govt
The Rajasthan political imbroglio on Wednesday reached the Supreme Court with State Assembly Speaker CP Joshi filing an SLP to challenge the High Court’s decision to scrutinise his power to issue disqualification notice against 19 MLAs of Pilot camps for skipping the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting and indulging in anti-party activities.
A Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra will take up the matter on Thursday. Sachin Pilot has also filed caveat in the case.
The “toppling” game and alleged involvement of Central machineries like ED, CBI and IT also reached the Prime Minister’s door with Rajasthan Chief Minister writing to PM Narendra Modi accusing certain Congressmen and a Central Minister of conspiring to dethrone him.
In the surprise move not known in recent past with similar template, Gehlot wrote to Modi alleging attempts to bribe Congress MLAs to defect. Gehlot also named Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat among BJP leaders and said he is involved in deal-making with rebel Congress MLAs.
“For some time, attempts are being made to destablise democratically elected Governments. This is an insult to the mandate and open violation of constitutional values. Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are examples of this,” Gehlot wrote in the letter.
The Chief Minister accused Pilot of conspiring with the BJP to dislodge the Congress Government in Rajasthan in a replay of Madhya Pradesh drama, where Jyotiraditya Scindia’s switch from the Congress to the BJP led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath Government in March.
Earlier in the day seeking an interim stay on the Rajasthan High Court’s July 21 decision, the Assembly Speaker said it was the duty of the top court to ensure that all constitutional authorities exercise their jurisdiction within the boundaries and respect their “respective ‘lakshman rekha’ as envisaged by the Constitution itself”.
Continued on Page 2
Raj Speaker moves SC against HC’s decisions
“In 1992, a Constitution Bench ruled that the Speaker has the power regarding disqualification. Chief whip of Congress party filed a petition before me & I issued showcause notices to MLAs concerned. After that, the matter was taken to court,” Joshi said at a Press conference when he announced the decision to move the highest judiciary.
Joshi said he has directed his counsel to file SLP in the Supreme Court as the Rajasthan HC is intervening even before his decision on the showcause notices to 19 Congress MLAs.
The Speaker said court intervention at the stage of Speaker issuing notices will lead to “constitutional crisis”.
Senior advocate and a Congress member in Rajya Sabha Kapil Sibal requested the Chief Justice to list Rajasthan Speaker’s appeal against HC urgently. The court said take the matter with concerned registrar who will bring it to court’s notice. When Sibal narrated how the HC was wrong, the SC said, “don’t argue the case right now.”
The rebel leader Sachin Pilot, on his part served a legal notice to party MLA Giriraj Malinga, for claiming that the former had offered him money to join the BJP. “Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has served a legal notice to Congress MLA Giriraj Malinga for his Rs 35 crore bribery allegation,” a source close to Pilot said.