Face of Nation : NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today declined to consider a plea by rebel AAP leader Devinder Sehrawat challenging his disqualification from the Delhi Assembly. The court noted that since Mr Sehrawat had been suspended and not expelled, he was required to make his arguments directly before the Speaker.
The Bijwasan legislator had been served a notice under the anti-defection law after the AAP claimed he let down his voters by joining the BJP. Mr Sehrawat joined the BJP on May 6, while Lok Sabha polls were ongoing, claiming he had been sidelined by AAP for four years.
“Why should we interfere?” the court asked, noting that the matter was still pending before the Speaker. The plea was heard by a vacation bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice B R Gavai.
Devinder Sehrawat’s lawyers withdrew the plea after the court refused to hear it.
Mr Sehrawat had argued that since he had not filled the primary membership form of the BJP the disqualification notice was premature.
“Under the existing laws, they (AAP) have not issued a proper notice. Even on the BJP dais, I had said that I have not taken the party membership… There is a due process before seeking my disqualification and I have not received any notice directly from the AAP,” he noted.
He also claimed that while AAP was seeking his disqualification, then BJP leaders Shatrughan Sinha and Kirti Azad participated in several AAP programmes in the run-up to Lok Sabha polls.
Mr Sehrawat, a former army colonel, has not quit the party as he would then no longer be a legislator.
