New Delhi: The Lok Sabha secretary general has been given three weeks to file a reply to Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra’s plea challenging her expulsion from the Lower House last month.
The Supreme Court, however, refused to allow her to participate in Lok Sabha’s proceedings, remarking that allowing it would be like allowing the main petition. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said it would hear TMC leader Mahua Moitra’s plea against her expulsion from Lok Sabha in the week commencing from March 11.
The top court also refused to issue any notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Committee on Ethics of Lok Sabha — both were made a party by Moitra in her plea.
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Lok Sabha secretary general, requested the court not to issue a formal notice and said that he would file a reply to Moitra’s petition. He added that the top court should not venture into the internal matter of discipline in the sovereign organ of the state.
The bench then passed the order and listed the matter for further hearing in the week starting March 11.
