Three MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party could not enter the Puducherry Assembly on Monday despite a Madras High Court order upholding their nomination by Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi. Speaker V Vaithilingam did not allow Puducherry BJP President V Saminathan, the party’s treasurer KG Shankar and pro-BJP educationist S Selvaganapathy inside the Assembly premises, saying his November order cancelling their nominations would be in place for now, The Hindu reported.
On March 22, the Madras High Court had also invalidated the Assembly secretary’s letter refusing to allow the three MLAs to attend House proceedings. Bedi opened the first session of the 30-member Puducherry Assembly on Monday with a customary address.
The three BJP MLAs staged a protest outside the Assembly after the Speaker refused to allow them inside the premises.
In defiance of the High Court order, Speaker Vaithilingam wrote to the three BJP legislators on Sunday through Assembly Secretary A Vincent Rayar, saying he would study the ruling with the help of legal experts and make a decision “shortly”, but until then, there would be no change in his decision from November, The Times of India reported.
“The principles of natural justice have not been followed,” read the Speaker’s letter. “The order of the hon’ble high court has been passed without hearing me. As such, there is infirmity and lack of constitutional clarity in the order of hon’ble high court.”
Moreover, Puducherry Congress legislators on Monday moved the Supreme Court against Bedi’s order from July 2017 nominating the three BJP leaders to the Assembly. The lieutenant governor’s move was rare as the Speaker generally appoints lawmakers.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the petition next week.
The Congress government in Puducherry has been at loggerheads with Bedi since before she nominated the three BJP leaders. On June 16, 2017, the Assembly had passed a resolution asking the central government to curtail the powers of the lieutenant governor, alleging that Bedi was not cooperating with the state government.
Soon after the Madras High Court passed its order on March 22, Chief Minister V Narayanaswamy’s Parliamentary Secretary K Lakshminarayanan went to New Delhi to consult Supreme Court lawyers. He told The Hindu that “there were enough grounds” to challenge the High Court order.
The lieutenant governor said she will ask the chief secretary for a report on Monday’s episode at the Assembly.
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