CS plea: Centre, Delhi govt asked to reply
Petition premature: Delhi govt counsel
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought response of the Centre, the city government and the Assembly Speaker’s office on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash’s petition challenging a fresh breach of privilege proceedings initiated against him on complaints by two House committees.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru, while issuing notice in the matter, declined to pass any interim orders after Delhi government Standing Counsel Rahul Mehra said nothing was presently happening against the bureaucrat and that his plea was “premature”.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Mr. Prakash, urged the court to pass interim orders staying the two fresh proceedings against him and to direct that his presence be not insisted upon by the Privileges Committee.
-Hearing on Nov 27
The High Court, however, did not issue any interim directions and listed the matter for hearing on November 27, saying that nothing has happened till now against the bureaucrat and if anything happens he can approach the court.
Mr. Prakash, in his plea, has sought quashing of the two new breach of privilege proceedings initiated against him on the complaints by the Question and Reference Committee and Protocol Committee of the Assembly.
Mr. Luthra contended that some members of the two committees, who lodged the complaints against him, were also part of the Privileges Committee which is a “violation of principles of natural justice”.
The Chief Secretary, in his plea, has also challenged the complaints made against him by the QRC and Protocol Committee on September 7 and September 14, respectively.
He has contended that the breach of privilege proceedings initiated against him based on the two complaints were “violative of the Constitution of India as well as the Rules of the House and therefore, illegal and unconstitutional”. The plea also seeks quashing of the Speaker’s decision to refer the two complaints to the Privileges Committee, saying it too was in violation of the Constitution and Rules of the House.
Courtesy By :- The Hindu