SC refuses to hear PIL to debar convicted MPs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to issue any interim directions pertaining to a PIL seeking to restrain convicted MPs from participating in the trust motion proceeding in the Lok Sabha. The Bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, opined that there was no urgency and hence, no interim direction should be given.

8220;Let the matter come in the regular course of hearing,8221; the court said, adding that it cannot grant urgent hearing to the petition questioning the permission granted to such MPs.

The court was responding to a petition filed by an Uttar Pradesh-based advocate, who sought a direction for debarring three MPs serving life sentence 8212; Mohd Shahbuddin, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav both RJD and Suraj Bhan Singh LJP 8212; from participating in the trust motion.

According to the petitioner, allowing them to vote in the House would send a wrong signal when the entire nation was keenly watching the confidence motion moved by PM Manmohan Singh.