After SC steps in,proceedings against five MLAs to continue

Haryana Speaker will continue proceedings against the five defector MLAs,who crossed over to the Congress deserting the Haryana Janhit Congress.

The Haryana Speaker will continue proceedings against the five defector MLAs,who crossed over to the Congress deserting the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC),after the Supreme Court stayed the Punjab and Haryana High Court order that declared them unattached and barred them from holding any public office. The order has come as a respite for Speaker Kuldeep Sharma who suffered the ire of the high court that declared the MLAs as unattached,restrained them from holding any public office and directed the Speaker to decide their cases in four months. The SC ruling will now put an end to all of this.

Since there is no restriction on continuing hearing in the disqualification petitions against these MLAs,I will continue with the proceedings to decide their cases as early as possible, the Speaker said while addressing the media on Wednesday. Despite persistent queries,however,Sharma refused to offer a time-frame for deciding the cases. All I can say is that the cases will be decided at the earliest, he said while denying there was any delay on his part in deciding the cases,as alleged by the petitioner.

We had to stall the proceedings for a month because of the non-availability of the petitioner HJC president Kuldeep Bishnoi,who lost his father and former chief minister Bhajan Lal and the family was in mourning. Then my own father former MP Chiranji Lal Sharma fell terminally ill and expired and the proceedings could not be conducted for about a week, Sharma said before adding that around 72 witnesses have to be examined.

Denying allegations that there was a delay,the Speaker said that he took over his position on March 4 and the proceedings came to a halt initially because of a single bench high court order and then because the high court reserved judgment on July 18 to finally pronounce the order after five months on December 20. On one occasion the lawyer for the petitioner was not available though five witnesses were there to record their statements,he said.

On whether the decision in the cases was already delayed,Sharma denied the charge and said he did not want to set an example of justice hurried being justice buried. He also said that there were a total of 23 petitions – five by Bishnoi,nine by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and another nine against the Independents – regarding the disqualification of the MLAs and all were to be heard. Sharma also applauded the Supreme Court for the decision.

I have my deepest regard for the judiciary and full faith to get justice. As for now the institution of the Speaker is in the safe hands of the apex court and would be well protected,the Speaker said.

MLAs challenge Kuldeeps stance

Chandigarh: The five defector MLAs have also challenged the locus standi of Kuldeep Bishnoi in maintaining the disqualification petitions against them after his election as an MP from the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency,Speaker Kuldeep Sharma said on Wednesday. These MLAs have filed petitions before me that since Bishnoi no more remains an MLA his petitions against them were not maintainable. I have clubbed these petitions with the main case and would give my ruling on them as well, the speaker added.

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