SC protects six Congress MLAs from disqualification

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday granted interim relief to six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs against disqualification from the state assembly.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stayed a Himachal Pradesh High Court order removing the protection granted against disqualification to the six legislators, who had been appointed as chief parliamentary secretaries by the state.

The top court also issued notice on an appeal moved by Himachal Pradesh government against the high court ruling that had quashed a 2006 law that allowed it to appoint state legislators as parliamentary secretaries.


After quashing the appointment of six Congress MLAs as chief parliamentary secretaries, the high court had declared the protection granted to the Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) illegal, observing that "natural consequences and legal implications" shall follow in accordance with law.

This meant that the legislators ran the risk of facing disqualification from the state legislative assembly. Aggrieved, the Himachal Pradesh government moved the top court.