Speaker serves notice on rebel Cong MLA Dhanavelou

Speaker V P Sivakolundhu served a notice Friday on rebel Congress legislator N Dhanavelou,asking him to reply within a week to the petition by government whip R V R Anandaraman seeking his disqualification as a member of the House.

Official sources said that the notice was served Friday asking Dhanavelou to submit his reply in a week's time as to why he should not not be disqualified as member of the House.

Dhanavelou was first suspended by the Congress committee here on January 15 for alleged anti-party activities and violation of party discipline as he had held a rally in his home constituency of Bahoor and levelled charges of corruption against the Chief Minister and his ministerial team.

Dhanavelou had also called on Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and submitted a petition, seeking a CBI probe for alleged corrupt practices.

The government whip,along with four Congress MLAs, submitted a petition to the Speaker on January 30, seeking Dhanavelou's disqualification as member of the House under the anti Defection Act for "breaching party discipline and accusing the government of being corrupt".

Official sources said the Speaker served the notice on Dhanavelou on Friday and gave him a week to submit his reply as to why he should not be disqualified.

The territorial Assembly is scheduled to meet on February 12 and it is likely that the House would have a day's session and adopt an anti-CAA resolution of the government.