Pilot camp MLA wants Centre to be party in petition against Speaker

Jaipur, July 23 Congress MLA Prithviraj Meena filed an application before Rajasthan High Court seeking Centre to be impleaded in the ongoing case filed by rebel Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs case challenging Para 2 (1) (a) of the Schedule X of the Constitution.

In his petition filed on Wednesday, he said, "It is humbly prayed that Union of India through The Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs), be made a Party Respondent to the present writ petition in the interest of justice and law."

The Speaker CP Joshi served disqualification notices to 19 rebel MLAs including Pilot for their alleged "anti-party activities" soon after they skipped two meetings of Congress legislative party meetings.

He was first asked to defer action by three days last week, when the High Court began the hearing of the case.

Team Sachin Pilot was given second three-day breather on Tuesday by the High Court after it finished hearing its arguments and reserved its judgement to be announced on July 24.

The rebels had argued that no whip can be in place when the assembly is not running in session and said they have no plans to quit the Congress but they want change in its Rajasthan leadership.

Meanwhile speaker Joshi on Wednesday filed a CLP in SC and its hearing is scheduled on Thursday.

( With inputs from IANS )