Trust motion: SC refuses to hear PIL to debar convicted MPs

New Delhi, July 22: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear a PIL seeking to restrain MPs convicted by courts for various offences from participating in the crucial trust vote in Lok Sabha. A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said it cannot grant urgent hearing to the petition questioning the permission granted to those MPs. A advocate from Uttar Pradesh had sought a direction for debarring three MPs -- Mohd Shahbuddin, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav (both RJD) and Suraj Bhan Singh (LJP) -- all awarded life sentence -- from participating in the trust motion. The advocate had submitted that allowing them to vote in the House would send a wrong signal when the entire nation was keenly watching the confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. However, his submission did not impress the bench which said the advocate was also seeking attention. "We know that the whole nation is watching the proceedings in Parliament. Even you want yourself to be watched," the Bench, also comprising Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal, observed. The bench also declined the plea to hear the matter tomorrow and said it will be taken up in the routine course when it is listed for hearing. Bureau Report
July 23, 2008
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