RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the registry to list a petition filed by former Congress MP Undavalli Arun Kumar on the legality of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the passage of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 for hearing next week.
Sharing the details of the court proceedings with The New Indian Express, former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar said noted advocate Prashant Bhushan informed the CJI-led Bench of the status of the petition on Friday morning, following which Chief Justice NV Ramana immediately directed the registry to list the petition for the coming week.
It may be recalled that the former MP had filed a petition challenging the AP Reorganisation Act in 2014. He appeared before the Supreme Court on May 5, 2014 and argued himself. Recently, the MP filed an urgent hearing petition on the same issue with additional documents.
Now, eight years after the infamous pepper spray episode in Parliament, the petition will be heard, he said, adding the additional documents included speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament, where they said Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in an unjust manner behind closed doors and without any discussion.
He was able to procure the Parliament attendance register from the day, which showed 30 BJP MPs were absent, as were several Congress ministers. "MPs of several parties staged a walkout in protest against the Bill in both the Houses. How was it passed then? Those outside the House did not know what was happening inside and those inside were not aware either," he recalled.
The MP pointed out that though the court had asked the Centre to file a counter to his 2014 petition, the same was not done till date.
Former MP Arun Kumar filed petition in 2014
Former MP Arun Kumar had in 2014 filed a petition challenging the Reorganisation Act. He appeared before the SC on May 5, 2014 and argued himself. He recently filed an urgent hearing petition