Declare Lalu and Masood's parliament seats vacant: NGO

An NGO has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and the Election Commission to declare the seats of Lalu Prasad and Rashid Masood vacant from the date of their conviction.

Both Lalu Prasad and Rashid Masood stood disqualified from their respective seats in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in the wake of the July 10, 2013, apex court verdict that denied them of the three months' breathing period for appealing in the higher court against their conviction and sentencing.

Lok Prahari's general secretary S.N.Shukla has sought direction to "issue forthwith the requisite notification regarding the vacancy of the seats held by Rashid Masood and Lalu Prasad with effect from the date of their conviction".

The elected representatives both in parliament and the state assemblies lost the shield of three months as the apex court by its judgment declared ultra vires Sub-section 4 of Section 8 of Representation of People Act, 1951.

Currently lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, Lalu Prasad was convicted in a fodder scam case Sep 30 and was sentenced to five years in jail Oct 3.

Masood was convicted Sep 19, 2013, for allotting nine seats of undergraduate medical course in Tripura to undeserving candidates from outside and was awarded four-year jail term Oct 1, 2013.