The Rajasthan High Court has reserved its verdict on the petition filed by Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs, challenging the disqualification notices issued to them by the Assembly Speaker.
It has also directed the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly not to act on the disqualification notices until then.
The petition was taken up by a bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta on Friday and arguments were heard on Monday till evening, but no conclusion was reached. The hearing recommenced at 10.30 am on Tuesday. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi concluded the arguments for the petitioners.
The observation came in the wake of the Congress submitting that disqualification notices were issued to Sachin Pilot and others for anti-party activity after they skipped two meetings of the Congress MLAs called by Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot.
In its complaint to the speaker, the Congress had sought action against Pilot and the other dissidents under paragraph 2(1)(a) of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.
The Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly had issued disqualification notices against the rebel Congress MLAs on the ground that they violated the direction issued by party chief whip Dr. Mahesh Joshi to attend the legislative party meeting on Monday and Tuesday.
Pilot's team argued that such notices cannot be issued by the Speaker, when the assembly is not in session.
Sachin Pilot was sacked as the Rajasthan deputy chief minister and the president of the state Congress unit after he rebelled against Gehlot.
