Rajasthan HC Defers Pilot Camp Verdict, Centre Made Party in Case

This comes as a relief to the Pilot camp as the Speaker won’t be able to act till both SC & HC give their verdict

Image of Sachin Pilot (L) and Ashok Gehlot (R) used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

The Rajasthan High Court on Friday, 24 July, ordered to maintain "status quo" on the disqualification notices issued by the Speaker to the 19 Rajasthan MLAs of Sachin Pilot’s camp and deferred its judgment till the Supreme Court decides on the questions of law.

The judgment comes as a relief to the Pilot camp as the Speaker will not be able to act upon the notice till both the Supreme Court and the High Court give their verdicts. The Supreme Court will hear the case on a day-to-day basis from 27 July, and depending on its verdict, the Rajasthan HC will give its judgment in the matter.

The HC also made the central government a party in the case against the Congress, Prateek Kasliwal, the lawyer of Speaker CP Joshi told the media.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) will represent the Centre in the court.

Catch all live updates of the hearing here.

The development comes after the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Rajasthan High Court to pass orders, as scheduled, on the petition filed against the Speaker’s disqualification notice to the rebel MLAs, including former Deputy CM Pilot.

Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi had on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against “interference” of the high court after it directed a stay on the disqualification proceedings against MLAs of the Sachin Pilot camp.

Soon after, the Sachin Pilot camp filed a caveat petition in the apex court, asking for no order to be passed on the Speaker's petition without hearing them.

The Rajasthan HC had, on Tuesday, asked the Assembly Speaker to not take any action against the rebel MLAs till it pronounced its verdict.