Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi has filed a petition with the Assembly Speaker for action against the three independent MLAs.
Addressing media persons here on Thursday, Negi said, “The independent MLAs’ resignation has not been accepted by the Speaker and inquiry is still pending. They had joined the BJP without their resignation being accepted thus violating the anti-defection law.”
The independent MLAs cannot join any party under the law and if they join they are bound to be unseated after disqualification, he said, adding that he has urged the Speaker to initiate action against them so that they can be disqualified.
The three MLAs’ petition is pending in the high court against the Speaker for not approving their resignation from the State Legislative Assembly.
He said this is the first-ever instance in the history of the country that the independent MLAs have resigned and have approached the state High Court seeking for acceptance of their resignation.
Negi charged the MLAs with tendering resignation on their own accord and given the manner in which these MLAs had been given security by BJP it is clear that there was pressure on them.
Accusing the BJP of murdering democracy by horse-trading in an attempt to destabilize an elected government, he said that the six former Congress MLAs who rebelled and joined BJP are now tainted and the BJP now stands exposed.
“The Central government also supported the conspiracy and provided security to the six rebel MLAs and the three independent MLAs. They were ferried in chartered planes and helicopters and were accommodated in five-star hotels in adjoining states,” he alleged.
Another Congress MLA Harish Janartha said that he has also filed a separate application in the High Court to make him party seeking for the hearing during the legal proceeding of the three independent MLAs.
The three independents include MLAs K L Thakur from Nalagarh Assembly constituency, Ashish Sharma Hamirpur AC and Hoshyar Singh Dehra AC.