BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has approached the Calcutta High Court seeking the dismissal of defector Mukul Roy. On Monday, the Opposition Leader in the state assembly came to the High Court and filed a case seeking dismissal of Mukul’s MLA post.
Suvendu said on Monday that it had been almost four months since Mukul, who had won the BJP ticket from Nadia’s Krishnanagar North constituency in the Assembly polls and joined the TMC, had not taken any decision on the issue. “I have sought justice from the court,” he said and added, “I have applied for the implementation of the law. All the legislatures in the whole of India. In the last 10 years, this direction has made 50 people (change of party) but it has not been effective. We have confidence in the court.”
The court ruled in an anti-defection case in the Manipur assembly that the Speaker of the assembly concerned would have to take a decision within three months. Referring to the issue, Suvendu’s lawyer Billadal Bhattacharya said, “Suvendu has approached the court as the Opposition Leader. The Supreme Court has directed that the matter be disposed of within three months. In this case, three months have passed. But time is being taken again and again in different ways. Therefore, an appeal has been made to the court, either to ask the Speaker to complete it within a week or to announce it directly by the court as an alternative, Mukul’s MLA post has been rejected.”
Incidentally, the BJP’s plea seeking dismissal of the outgoing Mukul MLA is now under consideration by Speaker Biman Banerjee. Mukul did not appear before the Speaker on 30 July and 23 September. Significantly, Nirmal Ghosh, Chief Whip of the TMC, wrote a letter to the Speaker stating the reason for Mukul’s absence from the 23 September hearing.
After that, Suvendu said, “Firstly, Nirmal gave this letter. So it is clear that Mukul is now a member of the TMC. As a result, anti-secession laws need to be implemented now. Secondly, Mukul could clarify his political position with a letter even if he could not come himself. Thirdly, no document regarding Mukul’s health was provided with the letter from the TMC Chief Whip.”
