Pilot camp's plea against disqualification: HC hearing to resume on Tuesday

According to lawyers who appeared before the court in the matter, the hearing will begin at 10:30 am on July 21

The Rajasthan High Court will, on Tuesday, continue hearing on a petition filed by former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs from his camp against the disqualification notices issued against them.

According to lawyers who appeared before the court in the matter, the hearing will begin at 10:30 am on Tuesday.

Advocate Prateek Kasliwal, who was appearing for Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, said that Mukul Rohatgi, representing Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs, will submit his arguments before the high court tomorrow.

"The arguments are most likely to be concluded tomorrow. Today, advocate Harish Salve concluded his arguments. Rohatgi will argue tomorrow. The court will then hear the applicants who have filed the application on the matter before the court," Kasliwal told reporters.

"Later, the court will give the opportunity to the parties to argue on the rejoinders. There has been no extension on the hearing on the disqualification notice hearing before the Speaker, which is slated tomorrow," he added.

Kasliwal said that today senior Congress leader advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi submitted his arguments on behalf of the Rajasthan Assembly Speaker.

During the hearing, Singhvi argued that the Speaker is a designated person under the Constitution who is to exclusively decide on the disqualification and said that the present proceedings are non-maintainable, premature and without jurisdiction.

Pilot and the MLAs from his camp approached the Rajasthan High Court over disqualification notice seeking the quashing and setting aside of the show cause notice issued to them on July 14 by the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

The development came after Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi sent notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly known as the anti-defection law after chief's whip application for their disqualification.

MLAs were earlier asked to present before Assembly Speaker on July 17, however, the same was deferred till Tuesday in view of the proceeding before the Rajasthan High Court.

Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open.

Pilot was, on July 14, also sacked from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs.