SC to hear on Nov 17 contempt plea against Telangana Speaker, Pg12.

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court will hear a contempt plea on November 17 against the Telangana Assembly Speaker.
• The plea alleges inaction on disqualification petitions against BRS MLAs who defected to Congress.
• A July 31 Supreme Court order mandated the Speaker to decide on the disqualification petitions within three months.
• The Supreme Court has urged Parliament to review the effectiveness of the Tenth Schedule in curbing political defections.

Detailed Insights:

• The core issue revolves around the alleged delay by the Telangana Speaker in addressing disqualification petitions filed against MLAs who switched parties, violating the anti-defection law.
• The Supreme Court emphasized that the Speaker's role is to ensure expeditious decisions on disqualification petitions to effectively combat political defections, as mandated by the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
• The Supreme Court previously criticized the Speaker's inaction, stating that it resembled a situation of "operation successful, patient dead," highlighting the potential ineffectiveness of the current mechanism.
• The Supreme Court has suggested that Parliament should consider whether the current mechanism of entrusting the Speaker with the task of deciding disqualification is sufficient to safeguard the foundations of democracy.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Defection: The act of a legislator changing allegiance from one political party to another.
• Disqualification: The process of removing a legislator from their position for violating specific laws or constitutional provisions.
• Tenth Schedule: A section of the Indian Constitution that deals with anti-defection measures for elected members.