Delhi HC seeks reply of speaker's office on MLA Tanwar's plea against disqualification

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought response of the speaker's office on a plea by MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar challenging his disqualification from the legislative assembly.

Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the office of Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly on the MLA's petition and listed the matter for further hearing on December 9.

Tanwar, who won from the Chhatarpur constituency on an AAP ticket in 2020, was disqualified by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on September 24 under the anti-defection law.

The lawmaker quit the party and joined the BJP in July, along with another MLA Raaj Kumar Anand.

Senior advocate Jayant Mehta, representing Tanwar, submitted that the termination order was "cryptic" and "non-speaking", and was passed in haste without affording an opportunity of personal hearing to him.

He submitted that due to the decision, he was unable to perform his duties and the development work was getting hampered.

"Hence, this writ petition seeking setting aside of the impugned order dated September 24, 2024 passed by the respondent no.1 disqualifying the petitioner from the membership of the Delhi Legislative Assembly," the petition filed through lawyers Neeraj and Satya Ranjan Swain said.

Besides the Speaker, the petition also named MLA Dilip Kumar Pandey as a party since he had filed the complaint seeking disqualification of the petitioner in August. The court also issued notice to Pandey seeking his reply to the plea.

Tanwar, in his plea, said it was the 'India Against Corruption' movement that motivated him to join Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but "one after the other scams" have brought the party a bad name and "unmasked the true faces of the leaders".