Court Overturns Speaker's Decision: Mukul Roy Disqualified

The Calcutta High Court disqualified Mukul Roy as a West Bengal Assembly member for defecting from the BJP to the TMC. The court overturned the Speaker's decision to retain Roy's assembly position, citing procedural flaws, and invalidated his PAC chairmanship nomination.

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday disqualified senior politician Mukul Roy from his position as a West Bengal Assembly member. Roy, initially elected on a BJP ticket during the 2021 elections, faced disqualification after defecting to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The court found the Speaker's earlier decision to retain Roy's assembly membership as legally flawed.

The division bench, led by Justice Debangsu Basak, criticized Speaker Biman Banerjee's decision-making process. It set aside Roy's nomination as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), citing his disqualification's retroactive effect from June 11, 2021. The court described the Speaker's ruling as 'perverse' and influenced by misguided interpretations of evidence.

The legal battle, initiated by BJP MLA Ambika Roy alongside opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, underscores ongoing political tensions in the region. The court concluded that evidence against Roy's defection was overwhelming, including transcripts and media reports. Despite arguments from the Speaker's legal representative, the court remained steadfast in its decision to uphold the disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

(With inputs from agencies.)