Supreme Court issues notice to 20 rebel TMC MPs on disqualification plea

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday issued notices to 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament in response to a petition filed by party leader Abhishek Banerjee, who is seeking a swift decision on disqualification petitions against them under the country's anti-defection law. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, directed the MPs to respond to the plea but declined to issue notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at this stage, after the Solicitor General indicated he would represent the Speaker's office.

The petition challenges the delay in deciding the fate of the 20 MPs who were elected on TMC tickets in the recent Lok Sabha elections but later announced their allegiance to the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). Banerjee, the TMC's national general secretary, has argued that this move constitutes a voluntary giving up of party membership, which should trigger disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The TMC filed separate disqualification petitions with the Speaker in June, but no decision has been made after more than two months.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Lok Sabha Speaker...