Parliament supreme, so reject expelled MPs’ plea: Govt to SC

Ten MPs from the Lok Sabha were found guilty in a Parliamentary probe by a special committee set up by the Speaker and the lone Rajya Sabha MP’s case was probed by the Ethics Committee of the Upper House.

The 11 MPs were expelled on the last day of the winter session of Parliament. Though the court refused to grant the MPs interim relief, it sent notices.

While the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office decided neither to accept nor reply to the SC notice, the Centre, filing its affidavit in response to the notice, contended that the court should not constitute any Constitution Bench to hear the matter and that the petitions of MPs should be summarily dismissed.

A three judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justices C K Thakker and P K Balasubramanyan, is slated to hear arguments to be advanced by the expelled MPs who say that Lok Sabha cannot expel a member as it did not elect the member and that no elections should be held for the seats “vacant” after the expulsions.