New Delhi, Jan 17: The Supreme Court on Monday said it expected the Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly to complete the hearing by the second week of February the matter seeking cancellation of Mukul Roy’s membership of the House.
Justice L. Nageswara Rao and Justice B. V. Nagarathna said it expects a decision to be taken by the next hearing due in the second week of February.
The top court is hearing a special leave petition. The Calcutta High Court had asked the Speaker to deliver its verdict by October 7 on a petition by BJP MLA Ambika Roy. This was challenged in the Supreme Court. Ambika Roy called for the disqualification of Mukul Roy from the membership of the Legislative Assembly after he was made Chairman of the State Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after joining the Trinamool Congress.
The BJP MLA moved the High Court on the grounds of delay in taking a decision by the Speaker.
Mukul Roy joined the BJP in 2017 from the Trinamool Congress. He returned to the Trinamool after winning last year’s Assembly elections on a BJP ticket.
The BJP alleges that Roy was appointed chairman of the PAC on July 9 while rewarding him with a return to the Trinamool.
The BJP MLA, who challenged his appointment, had told a legal provision to give the post of PAC to the MLA of the opposition party and said that Mukul Roy is no longer in the opposition.
Therefore, the appointment of Mukul Roy to the post of chairman is unconstitutional, hence the decision has been challenged.
