HC asks police to provide security to expelled AIADMK MP

The Delhi High Court today asked the police to provide security to expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa on her plea seeking adequate protection for her and her family members on the ground that she is receiving death threats after being allegedly slapped by a party leader.
Justice Vipin Sanghi directed Delhi Police to escort her to Parliament so that she can discharge her duty safely.
"Let protection be provided for safe functioning of the Member of Parliament. Police should escort the petitioner (Pushpa) while she is attending the House (Parliament)," the court said.
It also issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Delhi Police seeking their response by November 15.

The court passed the direction on the MP's plea which sought security for her while she is attending Rajya Sabha and participating in the monsoon session.
Senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog, appearing for the MP, told the court that the petitioner faces a grave threat to her life and liberty due to her expulsion from AIADMK and her refusal to resign from the party.

"The petitioner has expressed her apprehensions on the floor of Rajya Sabha and despite that no action has been taken to provide the petitioner with adequate security in view of the threat to her life," her counsel submitted.

Senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra, appearing for Delhi Police, submitted that the MP has been given adequate security and it is looking into the issue seriously.
In her plea, the MP asked the high court to intervene and
direct the authorities to guarantee her life and liberty as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution.
"The petitioner is unable to perform her constitutional duty of attending Rajya Sabha and participating in the monsoon session of Parliament in view of the clear and present danger to her life," the petition said.
She said that she had informed the Rajya Sabha Chairman on August 1 "that she had been slapped by the leader of the AIADMK party at Chennai and that she faced death threats".

She said she had also written to the Station House Officer, North Avenue here, for police protection, but was only spared a constable.
Pushpa alleged that the ancestral house of her husband in Uvari village in Tirunelvelli district in Tamil Nadu was attacked by some unidentified people as she had refused to resign from Rajya Sabha.