Sharad's disqualification casts a shadow: Yechury

Expressing concern over the disqulaification of rebel JD-U leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwer Ansari from Rajya Sabha, Communist Party of India (CPI-M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday said that the decision did "cast a shadow".

"Like Ceasar's wife, the Rajya Sabha Chairman's decisions must be above questioning. But the disqualification of Rajya Sabha MPs Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwer casts a shadow," Yechury said in a tweet.

On Monday, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, disqualified Yadav and Ali Anwar as members of the upper house of Parliament.

Earlier in the day, Sharad Yadav said he would continue fighting against the undemocratic style of functioning to save democracy.

"I am disqualified from the Rajya Sabha as the 'mahagathbandan' which was formed to defeat the NDA in Bihar and after 18 months to break it and joining NDA to remain in power and if to speak against this undemocratic style is my fault I will continue to fight to save democracy," Yadav tweeted.

The action came in the wake of a petition filed by the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD-U faction seeking Yadav and Ansari's disqualification.

Yadav, Ansari and a section of the JD-U fell out with Nitish Kumar after the latter broke away from the "mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance) with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress to re-align with the Bharatiya Janata Party earlier this year.

Last month, the Election Commission ruled that the Nitish Kumar-led faction was the real party and also allowed it to use the arrow symbol.

--IANS

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