Delhi HC Requests Speaker’s Response On Kartar Singh Tanwar’s Disqualification Plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday has issued a notice regarding the plea filed by former AAP MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar, who is contesting his disqualification from the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Justice Sanjeev Narula called for a response from the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly and MLA Dilip Kumar Pandey, with the next hearing scheduled for December 9.

Senior advocate Jayant Mehta, along with Satya Ranjan Swain, represented Tanwar in court. He was disqualified by the Speaker on September 24, 2024, and is now seeking to overturn that decision.

The petition, filed through advocates Neeraj and Satya Ranjan Swain, argues that the disqualification order was issued hastily and without allowing Tanwar a personal hearing, describing the order as “cryptic” and “non-speaking.”

Tanwar served as an MLA for the Chhatarpur constituency after being elected on February 8, 2020, under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) banner. The petition outlines that the Speaker acted on a disqualification petition filed by Dilip Kumar Pandey, issuing a notice on August 7, 2024, and requiring Tanwar to submit his comments by August 19, 2024.

It was alleged that Tanwar joined the BJP without formally resigning from AAP, with multiple news reports confirming his switch in July 2024. Following this, the Speaker indicated a personal hearing would be held on August 21, 2024. However, this hearing was postponed, and Tanwar was later notified to appear for a hearing on September 20, 2024.

On that date, Tanwar submitted a letter to the Deputy Secretary, Legislation, requesting a two-week postponement due to hospitalization from low blood pressure, stating that doctors advised him against any physical activity.

Despite this request, the Speaker instructed him to attend a hearing on September 24, 2024, which Tanwar attended after being discharged from the hospital, although he was still under medical advice against exertion.

The petition claims that the Speaker ignored Tanwar’s medical circumstances and passed the disqualification order on September 24, 2024, without proper consideration. Tanwar’s plea seeks to annul this disqualification, emphasizing the procedural shortcomings and the lack of a fair hearing.

As the case progresses, the High Court’s deliberations will address the legality of the disqualification and the implications for Tanwar’s political future.

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