CHENNAI: The senior counsel of some of the disqualified rebel MLAs Dushyant Dave told Justice M Duraiswamy of the Madras High Court on Wednesday that the 18 MLAs revolted only against Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy and not against the government.
Dave also said that Speaker P Dhanapal was acting like an AIADMK man and not like a constitutional authority holding the Speaker post.
A group of 12 MLAs, including OPS, voted against the CM on August 12, but no notice was issued by the Speaker, Dave pointed out. There is no question of the petitioner MLAs voluntarily going out of the party and they would not attract disqualification. It may be an expectation of the Speaker that if floor test is conducted with the disqualification of the 18 MLAs, the present CM might succeed. The actions of the Speaker are subject to judicial review. The order is against the federal structure and somebody from Delhi is pulling the strings.
The letter (by the rebels MLAs), which was given to the Governor, does not attract disqualification. It is not against the party. The petitioners have never given up party membership. The letter can, by no stretch of imagination, be treated as against the party, Dave said and added that the person, who voted against the CM earlier, had been rewarded with the post of Deputy CM. Every political party should allow the voices of dissenters on important issues.
The case of Yeddyurappa squarely applies to the case. The action of the Speaker is a perverse exercise. Vote of confidence should not take place. Even if it takes place, the petitioners should be allowed to participate in it, Dave said.
Ariyama Sundaram and VS Vaidyanathan submitted that issues raised by Dave have to be discussed in detail.