Sachin Pilot moves HC against Speaker's notice; Harish Salve & Mukul Rohatgi his counsels

In a massive development on Thursday, Sachin Pilot has moved Rajasthan High Court to challenge the issuance of disqualification notice by the assembly Speaker, as well as the validity of the whip issued by the Congress legislative party (CLP). As per sources, Todabhim MLA Prithviraj Chauhan has filed the petition on behalf of Sachin Pilot camp. In the plea, the Pilot camp has challenged the Speaker’s notice on the grounds that it is arbitrary.

Moreover, the plea states that the assembly was not in session when the notice of disqualification was issued and therefore, it cannot be enforced. Thus, the plea demands for setting aside of the disqualification notices and claims that there is no basis to allege 'anti-party activity.' The Pilot camp has also stated that not enough time was given to respond to the notice, as per sources. The decision to move High Court was taken after Sachin Pilot held a meeting with his faction of MLAs at their Haryana hotels through video conferencing. The assembly Speaker had on Wednesday, July 15, issued a disqualification notice to Sachin Pilot and other MLAs. 

Moreover, sources have informed that former Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi and Advocate Harish Salve may represent Sachin Pilot before Rajasthan HC and CLP will be represented by Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The plea will be heard by a single-judge bench headed by Judge Satish Chandra Sharma at 3 PM. Divyesh Maheswari has filed the petition on behalf of Todabhim MLA Prithviraj Chauhan, as per details.

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Congress sacks Sachin Pilot

As Sachin Pilot skipped the second legislative party meeting on July 14, Ashok Gehlot's camp passed a resolution against Pilot and loyalists. Addressing the press, Gehlot said that Pilot is playing in the hands of BJP and accused the saffron party of horse-trading. Thereafter, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala in a press briefing announced that party has sacked Sachin Pilot from the post of Deputy CM and PCC chief and accused him of conspiring with BJP. 

However, Congress leaders such as Sanjay Jha (who was later suspended), Jitin Prasada, Priya Dutt and several party functionaries in the Rajasthan unit of the party openly supported Pilot. Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday extended an olive branch to Sachin Pilot and other dissident MLAs by asking them to return to Jaipur while also telling them to prove their loyalty towards Congress by leaving the hotels in BJP-ruled Haryana. At this point it is believed that Pilot doesn't have sufficient numbers to bring down Gehlot's government, and also needs time to negotiate his further course of action with the BJP, whom he has said he's not joining.

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Sachin Pilot speaks up

A day after being sacked, Sachin Pilot on Wednesday said that he is not joining BJP or any other party, adding that he has been a loyalist of the Congress. The 'rebel' leader said that he won't remain silent anymore and is considering legal options to fight CM Gehlot whom he has accused of "doing wrong things & maligning his image." While he denied meeting Jyotiraditya Scindia or any BJP leaders, he also said that within Congress he has only spoken to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

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