SC to hear plea by 9 disqualified MLAs of Uttarakhand assembly

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) The Supreme Court will hear later Monday a plea by nine rebel Congress MLAs of Uttarakhand challenging their disqualification from the assembly that was dismissed by the state high court earlier in the day.

Appearing for the MLAs, senior counsel C.A. Sundaram mentioned their plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur.

The plea is likely to be heard at 12.30 p.m. by a bench of Justic Dipak Mishra and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh.

The bench will also hear the plea by the centre seeking modification of Friday's order directing a principal secretary be present in the Uttarakhand assembly during the voting on the motion of confidence being sought by the ousted chief minister Harish Rawat.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the court that the principal secretary has written to the centre that he cannot act as directed by the court because his designation has not been correctly mentioned as he is principal secretary (Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs).

Rohatgi's plea was opposed by senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal, who told the court that the position of principal secretary (Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs) is a non-cadere post and an outsider cannot be allowed to be present in the assembly during its proceedings.

Singhvi and Sibal appeared for Rawat.