We’ve thrown out garbage, let him sit in Rs: Ram Gopal

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has decided not to move disqualification notices with presiding officers of the two houses of Parliament to seek removal of expelled members Amar Singh and Jaya Prada, reports Srinand Jha.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has decided not to move disqualification notices with presiding officers of the two houses of Parliament to seek removal of expelled members Amar Singh and Jaya Prada.

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Referring to Singh, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav told HT: “We have thrown out the garbage from the party. Let him (Singh) sit shamelessly as an unattached member in the Rajya Sabha in one corner. The party will not move a disqualification notice against him.”

“Amar wanted to continue to remain in the SP, while continuing to talk nonsense against the party. That’s the reason why we expelled him,” Yadav said, adding, “We have got rid of that trash now.”

Referring to Amar’s criticisms of the SP leadership as a “casteist, communal and family-run party”, party spokesman Mohan Singh said, “Let Amar talk all the rubbish that he wants. We are consulting legal experts, but have not decided on a course of action.”

The provisions of the anti-defection law of 1985 do not encourage the SP leadership to go ahead with a disqualification notice against Singh.

“... The provisions of the anti-defection law cannot be invoked in the case of Amar Singh, although the presiding officers of the two Houses do have considerable leverage in such matters,” former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C. Kashyap said. Precedents do exist (for a case seeking Amar’s removal), but the SP leadership prefers to “wait and watch”.