Amarinder moves HC challenging his expulsion from Assembly
Embattled former chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging his expulsion from the state Assembly over graft charges but failed to get a stay on the decision.
By PTI |
CHANDIGARH: Embattled former chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging his expulsion from the state Assembly over graft charges but failed to get a stay on the decision.
A division bench comprising Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Ajay Tewari said it was not inclined to grant a stay on Singh's expulsion from the Assembly at this juncture.
"What is the urgency of coming to the court today itself?", the bench asked the Congress leader's counsel a day after the Assembly adopted a resolution to strip him of his membership. The counsel said that the House had passed the resolution against 66-year-old Singh and sought his custodial interrogation.
The legislative assembly cannot give a directive regarding filing of an FIR, the counsel contended and claimed that the Congress leader had been deprived of a fair opportunity before the House.
The bench later adjourned the case till Friday. In an unprecedented action, the Assembly had on Wednesday expelled Singh from the House after a nine-member committee of the Assembly headed by ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Harish Rai Dhanda indicted him and three others in the Amritsar Improvement Trust land exemption case.
The House declared his vacant and also asked vigilance bureau to launch criminal proceedings against the former chief minister and submit a report within two months.
Reacting to charges levelled by the Punjab Congress leader, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal denied that the action was motivated by "political vendetta" and lashed out at Singh for his "continued arrogance and disregard to the collective wisdom of the House".
A division bench comprising Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Ajay Tewari said it was not inclined to grant a stay on Singh's expulsion from the Assembly at this juncture.
"What is the urgency of coming to the court today itself?", the bench asked the Congress leader's counsel a day after the Assembly adopted a resolution to strip him of his membership. The counsel said that the House had passed the resolution against 66-year-old Singh and sought his custodial interrogation.
The legislative assembly cannot give a directive regarding filing of an FIR, the counsel contended and claimed that the Congress leader had been deprived of a fair opportunity before the House.
The bench later adjourned the case till Friday. In an unprecedented action, the Assembly had on Wednesday expelled Singh from the House after a nine-member committee of the Assembly headed by ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Harish Rai Dhanda indicted him and three others in the Amritsar Improvement Trust land exemption case.
The House declared his vacant and also asked vigilance bureau to launch criminal proceedings against the former chief minister and submit a report within two months.
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Reacting to charges levelled by the Punjab Congress leader, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal denied that the action was motivated by "political vendetta" and lashed out at Singh for his "continued arrogance and disregard to the collective wisdom of the House".
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