A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said courts had no jurisdiction in the expulsion of 11 MPs linked to the cash-for-questions scam, the Delhi High Court sought his response on Monday to petitions filed by some of the expelled parliamentarians.
The High Court also sought responses from the central government, the Pawan Bansal committee and others on a bunch of petitions by the Lok Sabha members who were expelled through a resolution adopted by the lower house of parliament.
The Bansal panel, set up by Chatterjee, had probed the case of the 10 Lok Sabha MPs who were secretly filmed by reporters while accepting cash to raise questions in the house. It recommended their expulsion. A Rajya Sabha MP linked to the scam was also expelled.
A division bench comprising judges Bijender Jain and Rekha Sharma asked the Government and Lok Sabha speaker to file their replies to the petitions within two weeks, and posted the matter for further hearing on February 13.
Appearing for the MPs, senior counsel PN Lekhi said Parliament did not have the power to expel its members. At the most, it could suspend them.
{{/usCountry}}Appearing for the MPs, senior counsel PN Lekhi said Parliament did not have the power to expel its members. At the most, it could suspend them.
{{/usCountry}}The MPs moved the high court last week, saying they were not given enough opportunities to defend themselves, and that the Bansal Committee had violated the principle of natural justice.
Chatterjee has said that he had received emails and letters from across the country supporting the expulsion of the MPs. He said he would not surrender or submit to the jurisdiction of courts on this issue.