For the third time on 9 October, the Madras High Court heard the petition of 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs against their disqualification. The High Court has now adjourned the hearing on the individual writ petitions filed by the 18 disqualified MLAs backed by TTV Dhinakaran to 2 November.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami’s counsel has sought time to file the counter documents in the case. The Quint learnt that the court hearing is to be followed by the DMK’s plea for a floor test to be conducted.
The High Court had last said that the decision regarding the floor test would be taken only once the case of the MLAs’ disqualification is taken care of.
The Madras High Court judge has ordered Palaniswami to file the counter submissions before 23 October, reported ANI.
On 4 October, the High Court in its second hearing of the petitions in the case, had issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker as to why no action was taken against the 12 MLAs including Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam who had defied the whip on a confidence motion.
The Salem police had slapped sedition charges against sidelined AIADMK Deputy General Secretary Dhinakaran, and 17 of his supporters, for allegedly distributing pamphlets on NEET, on 2 October.
The pamphlets hit out at the Tamil Nadu and Central governments for killing Anitha, a medical aspirant who had committed suicide on 1 September.
Senior counsel Abhishek Singhvi, appearing on behalf of TTV Dhinakaran, had called the disqualification of MLAs by the Speaker unconstitutional.
He said that after Jayalalithaa’s demise, OPS became the CM, and after which Edappadi Palaniswami became the CM.
When EPS moved floor test, OPS voted against them. If the Speaker took action against us, why didn’t he take action against the OPS camp?Abhishek Singhvi, Senior Legal Counsel
Singhvi added that their intention was not to topple the government, but was to “change the corrupt chief minister.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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