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Hans India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Convicted for pointing gun at SDM, BJP MLA disqualified
Jaipur: The Assembly membership of Rajasthan BJP MLA, Kanwarlal Meena, has been terminated after he was found guilty in a case where he threatened an SDM with a pistol in 2005. The Assembly has issued an official notification confirming the termination. Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani announced on Friday that MLA from Anta constituency, Kanwarlal, has been disqualified from the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly following his conviction in a court of law. The disqualification is in accordance with Article 191(1)(e) of the Indian Constitution and Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Devnani stated that the disqualification took effect from the date of conviction, and consequently, the Anta (193) Assembly seat in District Baran has been declared vacant. The Speaker clarified that the decision was made after receiving legal advice from the Advocate General of Rajasthan. 'I do not work under any kind of pressure,' he emphasised. 'All decisions are made strictly in accordance with the law and only after a thorough examination of all aspects.' He further stated that precedent exists for such matters, noting that previous Speakers have also taken time to study and act on similar cases. Devnani cautioned against politicising the issue, underlining that the matter is purely legal in nature. He explained that the Advocate General was asked to provide legal counsel on the day of the court's verdict regarding MLA Kanwarlal. According to established legal provisions, an MLA stands disqualified from the date of conviction, and the notification of the seat's vacancy is formally issued by the Legislative Assembly. He also referenced Article 177 of the Constitution, stating that the Advocate General has the constitutional authority to participate in the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and offer legal opinions when required. Earlier, the Assembly Secretariat had issued a notice to Kanwarlal, requiring him to respond by May 7. He was asked to clarify whether he had received any relief from the Supreme Court to stay his sentence. As the Supreme Court did not suspend the conviction or sentence, the Speaker was left with no option but to revoke his membership.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Hrs after Cong's contempt plea,BJP MLA removed from House
Jaipur: Sixteen days after the Supreme Court dismissed BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena's appeal and two days after his surrender, assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani finally disqualified the governing party's legislator on Friday. The move came hours after Congress filed a contempt petition against Devnani in Rajasthan high court for allegedly delaying action against Meena, sentenced to three years for intimidating a govt officer at gunpoint during a panchayat bypoll in 2005. Devnani defended the timing of his decision, stating his office acted upon receiving a formal legal opinion from the advocate-general on Friday. "I do not act under any pressure. Every decision is rooted in legal and constitutional principles. Even in past cases, Speakers took time for due diligence," Devnani said. Opposition Congress, however, cited examples of Rahul Gandhi being disqualified from Lok Sabha within 24 hours of his conviction in 2023 and Rajasthan BSP MLA BL Kushwaha being disqualified within two days of his conviction in 2016. Congress accused Devnani of having deliberately delayed disqualification of Meena and acting only after the contempt petition was filed, attributing the final outcome to its sustained pressure. "The Speaker acted only to avoid further embarrassment in the high court," state opposition leader Tikaram Jully of Congress said. Jully said that the Congress had submitted three memorandums to both the Speaker and the governor, and filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission demanding Meena's immediate disqualification. "Despite this, efforts were made continuously to protect the convicted MLA, instead of upholding constitutional values," he said. "The deliberate delay allowed a convicted MLA to remain in office and even go to jail while holding the post. This has put a stain on the dignity of the state assembly," Jully said. "This case will serve as a lesson for Speakers across the country on the consequences of disregarding due process," he said. Meena has been disqualified from May 1 when the HC upheld a trial court's three-year sentence to him. Meena had then approached the apex court for relief but it dismissed his plea on May 7 citing the legislator's extensive criminal record. The disqualification has reduced BJP's strength in the 200-member assembly from 119 to 118 and necessitates a bypoll in Anta, Meena's assembly seat in Baran district, within six months. The assembly has notified the Election Commission about the vacancy. Meena is the second MLA in Rajasthan to be disqualified upon conviction, following BSP's Kushwaha in 2016. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Convicted for gun threat, Rajasthan BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena gets disqualified
BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena JAIPUR: Sixteen days after Supreme Court dismissed Rajasthan BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena's appeal and two days after his surrender, assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani finally disqualified the governing party's legislator on Friday. The move came hours after Congress filed a contempt petition against Devnani in Rajasthan high court for allegedly delaying action against Kanwarlal Meena , sentenced to three years for intimidating a govt officer at gunpoint during a panchayat bypoll in 2005. Devnani defended the timing of his decision, stating his office acted upon receiving a formal legal opinion from the advocate-general on Friday. "I do not act under any pressure. Every decision is rooted in legal and constitutional principles. Even in past cases, Speakers took time for due diligence," Devnani said. Opposition Congress, however, cited examples of Rahul Gandhi being disqualified from Lok Sabha within 24 hours of his conviction in 2023 and Rajasthan BSP MLA BL Kushwaha being disqualified within two days of his conviction in 2016. Congress accused Devnani of having deliberately delayed disqualification of Meena and acting only after the contempt petition was filed, attributing the final outcome to its sustained pressure. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Lifetime Office 2024 License for Mumbai [Order] prime software Undo "The Speaker acted only to avoid further embarrassment in the high court," state opposition leader Tikaram Jully of Congress said. Meena has been disqualified from May 1 when the HC upheld a trial court's three-year sentence to him. Meena had then approached the apex court for relief but it dismissed his plea on May 7 citing the legislator's extensive criminal record. The disqualification has reduced BJP's strength in the 200-member assembly from 119 to 118 and necessitates a bypoll in Anta, Meena's assembly seat in Baran district, within six months. The assembly has notified the Election Commission about the vacancy. Meena is the second MLA in Rajasthan to be disqualified upon conviction, following BSP's Kushwaha in 2016.
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Convicted for pointing gun at official's head in 2005, Rajasthan BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena's Assembly membership terminated
Three weeks after the Rajasthan High Court directed BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena to surrender immediately, and almost two weeks after the Supreme Court dismissed his petition, the Assembly membership of the Anta MLA was formally terminated on Friday. With the Supreme Court-stipulated two-week relief coming to an end, the convicted MLA surrendered before a Manohar Thana court in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district on May 21. In a notification, Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani said Meena's membership has been terminated from the date of his conviction. Meena was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in a 2005 case where he had threatened a public official with a revolver. The development comes on a day when the Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully filed a petition in the High Court against the delay in terminating Meena's membership. Since the High Court upheld his conviction earlier this month, Congress leaders have accused Speaker Devnani of partisanship, citing the delay. Jully said that the party wrote to the Speaker five times, apart from writing letters to the Chief Secretary, the Election Commission, and meeting the Governor. 'Satyamev Jayate, today the truth has won, the Constitution has won. They took 23 days to follow the Constitution, which should have been followed on day one itself. The Congress party wants a rule of the Constitution in the state and the country. But the manner in which Meena's file was moved was quite a sight. We had to struggle so much,' Jully said Friday. On Friday, Devnani said that 'as soon as the legal opinion of the Advocate General was received at 10:30 am, Meena was declared as disqualified.' Devnani said that he 'does not work under any kind of pressure' and that he takes 'decisions in accordance with law and justice only after studying every aspect related to any matter. Even before this case, the Speakers of the Vidhan Sabha have taken a lot of time on many issues related to the Vidhan Sabha.' Following Friday's decision, Devnani asked the Congress party to desist from doing politics over the issue. The case in which Meena has been disqualified pertains to February 2005, when Ramniwas Mehta, then an RAS officer and posted as Sub Divisional Officer, Aklera, was informed of a group of people in Manohar Thana, Jhalawar, blocking the road to demand re-poll in a sarpanch election. Half an hour after Mehta and others reached the spot, Meena arrived with 6-7 men in a vehicle, took out a revolver and allegedly aimed it at Mehta's head, asking him to 'announce a re-poll within two minutes or get killed.' Mehta, as per records, told Meena that 'a revolver can kill but not enforce a re-poll.' Mehta, promoted as an IAS officer, is currently posted as Secretary, Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC). During the hearing in the Supreme Court, the three-member Bench was told that Meena had 27 cases against him; however, his lawyers had told The Indian Express that he was acquitted in almost all these cases. While not the first in the state, it will be a rare instance for a sitting MLA to be disqualified in Rajasthan. The last such instance was in December 2016, when the then Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal had terminated the Assembly membership of B L Kushwah, who was with the Bahujan Samaj Party, after he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for 'honour' killing. For two-time MLA Meena, 50, who is considered close to former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, it might put a pause on his more direct involvement in politics; however, like Kushwah, who fielded his wife, it may not mean the end of the road. With Meena's disqualification, the Rajasthan Assembly strength comes down to 199 once again. Devnani said that a notification of vacancy in Baran's Anta constituency has been issued. The disqualification brings the BJP's Assembly strength to 118, while Congress currently has 66 MLAs, apart from 8 Independents, four of the Bharat Adivasi Party, two of the Bahujan Samaj Party and one of the Rashtriya Lok Dal. According to the Speaker, Meena has been disqualified under Article 191 (1) (E) of the Indian Constitution read with Section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. As per Article 191 (1)(E), a person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council of a State if he is so disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament. And as per Section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People Act, a legislator is disqualified if he or she is sentenced for more than two years. Additionally, they shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years after their release.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cong seeks legal opinions over delay in MLA's disqualification
1 2 Jaipur: With Speaker Vasudev Devnani dragging his feet on disqualifying BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena , Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully said Wednesday that Congress is seeking legal opinion on how to proceed in the matter. Meena's conviction in a 20-year-old criminal case was first upheld by the Rajasthan High Court on May 1, and his subsequent appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court on May 7, directing the MLA to surrender before the trial court within two weeks. The case stems from a 2005 incident where Meena allegedly threatened the then-sub-divisional officer Ramniwas Mehta, currently RPSC secretary, by pointing a gun at him in Aklera, Jhalawar. Earlier, Devnani said opinions were being sought from the Advocate General. Jully wrote to Governor Haribhau Bagde on Tuesday, urging him to ensure Meena's disqualification with effect from May 1. Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, mandates that an elected person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for two or more years shall stand disqualified from the constitutional body from the date of an earlier letter to Devnani, Jully said, "According to the order of the Supreme Court of India in the Lily Thomas vs Govt of India case, his (Meena's) membership should have been annulled from May 1, 2025. However, it is regrettable that no action has been taken even after a week has passed."
