Rebel MLAs could respond till July 22: Supreme Court

New Delhi: Live Law reported that the Supreme Court allowed Sena minister Eknath Shinde and other rebel MLAs to file a written response to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Deputy speaker's disqualification till July 12.

The court was hearing the petition filed by minister Shinde challenging the disqualification notice served by the deputy speaker. The speaker sent the notification under the tenth schedule of the Constitution over allegations of defection.

The vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala ruled, "As an interim measure, the time granted by the Deputy Speaker to the petitioners or other similarly placed MLAs to submit their written submissions today by 5:30 pm will be extended till July 12, 2022, 5:30 pm. The petitioners or other MLAs are at liberty to submit their reply without prejudice to their rights in the writ petition," Live Law quotes.

Further, the court said that the State must make sure that rights granted to every citizen stay protected. No harm must happen to the lives and properties of the 39 MLAs as well as their family members.

The matter will be heard again on July 11.