HJC MLAs facing disqualification to be given last hearing

Announcing this here today, Speaker Kuldeep Sharma said he will decide the issue before January 13.

As per the Supreme Court order, the Speaker has to decide on the disqualification petitions by that date.

The five legislators -- Sat Pal Sangwan, Zile Ram, Rao Narender Singh, Vinod Bhayana and Dharam Singh Chhokar -- had defected to Congress after 2009 Assembly polls, after which Bishnoi had filed petitions before the office of the Speaker seeking their disqualification.

They had switched over to Congress after it had fallen short of majority in the polls, winning 40 seats on its own in the 90-member House.

Launching an attack on Bishnoi over his allegations that the matter was being intentionally delayed, Sharma said the HJC president should respect the position of the Speaker and maintain a decorum expected from a Member of Parliament.

Meanwhile, he also questioned the source of the money spent by the HJC president on a party rally in Sirsa on December 2.

"Bishnoi has spent huge amounts of money on his Sirsa rally. I want to know where the money has come from. There should be a probe to find the source of this money," Sharma said.