U'khand crisis: No question of disqualifying rebel Congress MLAs, says lawyer

Dehradun ( Uttarakhand): Rebel Congress MLAs' lawyer Chetan Chauhan on Sunday said there is no question of disqualifying them as only partial documents have been submitted, which are not verified.

"Only partial documents have been submitted, despite giving show cause notice to submit full documents. Moreover, the partial documents are unverified. According to rules, these documents do not hold importance," Chauhan told the media here.

"The Speaker has been asked to review all the documents. We have received the documents in parts. According to the Supreme Court judgment and rules, seven days are allocated to verify these documents and respond accordingly. The procedural hearing on documents is going on right now. There is no question of disqualification right now," he added.

The reported decision to disqualify the nine legislators from the Congress Party, who have revolted against Harish Rawat and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would reduce the effective strength of the 70-member assembly to 61.

The rebel Congress legislators yesterday released a sting video of Rawat and alleged that he is indulging in horse-trading to save his government.

The video purportedly showed him bargaining with rebel party lawmakers to win their support ahead of the floor test on Monday.

Meanwhile, President's rule has been imposed in the state after Governor K.K. Paul submitted his report.