Gujarat High Court dispose off MLA suspension matter

A day after three suspended Congress have moved the Gujarat High Court challenging the order of the Assembly speaker, a division bench headed by Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy disposed off the matter.

The court's decision came after advocate general Kamal Trivedi appeared in court and pleaded that the matter no more existed as the Assembly passed a resolution to revoke the suspension of the MLAs.

It should be noted that the speaker reduced the suspension of the three MLAs to this session alone which ends on March 28. The Congress on its part also withdrew the no confidence motion against the speaker.

The three MLAs Pratap Dudhat, Amrish Der, and Baldevji Thakor had moved the moved the HC challenging the order of the Assembly speaker to suspend them.

Dudhat and Der, MLAs from Savarkundla and Rajula were suspended for three years while Thakor who represents Kalol was suspended for a year for unruly behaviour on March 14. They have also been barred from entering the Assembly premises.

The MLAs had challenged the constitutional validity of the suspension as they claimed that the speaker has powers to suspend an MLA for one session and not a year.

The lawmakers have in the petition also stated that they were suspended without any inquiry or hearing their side. The two Congress MLAs had allegedly attacked BJP legislator Jagdish Panchal inside the House amid acrimonious scenes.