[Breaking] Rajasthan Political Crisis: Speaker withdraws plea before Supreme Court challenging July 21 Rajasthan HC direction

Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly CP Joshi has withdrawn his petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Rajasthan High Court order of July 21 in the case concerning the disqualification notice served on Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs (Hon'ble Speaker v. Prithiviraj Meena & Ors).

. A Bench of Justices Arun Mishra, BR Gavai, and Krishna Murari was informed by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal today that the petition was being withdrawn in light of the order passed by the High Court on July 24.

.Rajasthan Political Crisis: Can members not raise voice against own party? SC asks while hearing Speaker’s plea [LIVE UPDATES]. Sibal submitted that after the Supreme Court refused to stay the High Court's July 21 order directing the Speaker to take no coercive action on the basis of the disqualification notice, the High Court proceeded to pass a detailed order on July 24.

He said that the July 21 order, which is the subject matter of challenge in the present SLP, has "merged" with the High Court's subsequent order of July 24, and therefore, the plea before the Supreme Court has become infructuous.

. Therefore, the SLP was withdrawn with liberty to file a fresh SLP, keeping all grounds open.

. On July 23, a three-judge Bench of the Apex Court had agreed to hear at length the plea filed by the Speaker in the case concerning disqualification notices served on Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs.

The Court had refused to grant a stay on the High Court order.

.[Breaking] Rajasthan Political Crisis: Dissenting voice in democracy cannot be shut down, SC refuses to restrain Rajasthan HC proceedings. Soon after the hearing before the Supreme Court, on July 24, the Rajasthan High Court ordered status quo on the disqualification notice issued to 19 rebel Congress lawmakers, including sacked Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot.

.[Breaking] Rajasthan Political Crisis: Rajasthan HC orders status quo on Speaker notice against Sachin Pilot, MLAs; Centre impleaded in case. The status quo implies that Speaker Joshi would not be able to proceed further on the show-cause notice, which was issued to the 19 dissident Congress MLAs on July 14, even if these legislators did not submit their replies.

The High Court had also allowed the petition filed by the Pilot camp to add the Union of India as a respondent to the case in view of the challenge to the Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which deals with anti-defection.

. Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi had moved the Supreme Court against the order of the Rajasthan High Court that "directed" the Speaker to refrain from proceeding against Pilot and other rebel Congress MLAs till the High Court pronounces its order.

.[Breaking] Rajasthan Political Crisis: Rajasthan HC orders status quo on Speaker notice against Sachin Pilot, MLAs; Centre impleaded in case. Read Order:

[Breaking] Rajasthan Political Crisis: Speaker withdraws plea before Supreme Court challenging July 21 Rajasthan HC direction

Debayan Roy

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