Jully urges guv to ensure disqualification of MLA

Jaipur/Alwar: Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully Tuesday raised the issue of delay in the disqualification of convicted BJP Anta MLA Kanwarlal Meena with governor Haribhau Bagde during an event in Alwar.

In a formal letter submitted to Bagde, Jully accused Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani of "deliberately delaying" the disqualification process, despite 13 days passing since the Rajasthan High Court upheld Meena's conviction in a 2005 criminal case.

In the letter, Jully cited that the Rajasthan High Court, on May 1, 2025, upheld Meena's three-year sentence for offences under IPC Sections 353, 506, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Supreme Court, he added, already dismissed Meena's Special Leave Petition on May 7, 2025.

"As per Article 191 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, any public representative sentenced to more than two years stands automatically disqualified from holding office," Jully wrote.

Criticising the delay in action by the Speaker's office, Jully said, "Even after 13 days since the High Court's order, no step has been taken to disqualify Meena. The Speaker's inaction is a blatant disregard of constitutional duty and democratic norms."

Jully urged the governor to uphold the constitutional mandate and ensure Meena's disqualification with effect from May 1, the date of the high court's decision. "The dignity of democratic institutions, the supremacy of the law, and the credibility of the legislature demand urgent intervention," he added.

Earlier in the day, Congress chief whip Rafeek Khan also visited the Assembly with a letter from the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), calling for immediate action. "The Hon'ble Speaker is out of town. I met the Assembly secretary and demanded that disqualification proceedings be initiated without further delay, or people will lose faith in this institution," Khan said.