Speaker’s judgment too late, says Congress
Newmai News Network
IMPHAL | March 28
Manipur Assembly Speaker disqualified Th Shyamkumar as an MLA who defected to BJP from Congress party. The disqualification was done under 10th Schedule of Indian Constitution popularly known as Anti-defection law.
Pronouncing the long pending disqualification case against Th Shyamkumar, Speaker Y Khemchand said, “The respondent (Th Shyamkumar), thus, ceases to be a member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly with immediate effect from this date, i,e., 28-03-2020 till the expiry of the term of this assembly, i.e., 11th Legislative Assembly of Manipur.”
The Speaker’s tribunal disqualified the MLA under 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India read with Article 191(2) of the Constitution of India.
After pronouncing the judgment the Speaker said that a resignation paper submitted by the MLA was not considered by the tribunal. He added that the resignation paper he submitted to him (Speaker) was not related with the case.
The ruling of the Speaker was after hearing for three years to the petitions seeking disqualification of the MLA filed by Congress MLAs.
Shyamkumar was elected from Andro assembly constitution of Imphal East district on Congress ticket in the early part of 2017. However, he defected to BJP in the run up to the formation of a new government when no party secured the magic number to form the government and became a cabinet minister in the BJP’s coalition government led by N Biren Singh.
As many as 15 petitions seeking disqualification of Shyamkumar were received by the Speaker’s tribunal. All have been clubbed together, the Speaker said.
Following the judgment of the Speaker’s tribunal, Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat notified that the seat of Andro Assembly constituency in the house is now lying vacant.
“Nobody can go against our Indian Constitution. Protecting the Constitution is respecting democracy,” said Congress MLA K Meghachandra.
He added that the judgment of the Speaker is too late as it had already affected the democratic rights of the people in democracy. He also said that it had been three years he had been fighting for "justice". He went to High Court of Manipur and then to Supreme Court.
“Had not the Apex Court given the recent order and its landmark judgment, the Speaker might not have given the justice. So, I am grateful to the Supreme Court,” the Congress MLA stated.
