Bihar Legislative Council justifies its decision in SC expelling RJD MLC over remarks against CM

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) The Bihar Legislative Council on Thursday justified its decision in the Supreme Court expelling Rashtriya Janata Dal MLC Sunil Kumar Singh from the House, saying he neither attended ethics committee meetings nor expressed any regret over his remarks against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was told by senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Bihar Legislative Council that Singh had even questioned the competence of members of ethics committee and constitution of such committee.

He submitted that Singh cannot claim parity with another RJD MLC Mohd Qari Sohaib who was suspended for two days over a similar remark, saying that Sohaib attended the meetings and answered the allegations.

The bench, however, said that questioning the constitution of a committee and not attending the meetings may not amount to misconduct.

It noted that Singh has not denied his remarks against the chief minister and tried to take a legal defence like questioning the constitution of the committee and therefore maybe some benefit could be granted to him.

Senior advocate Kumar said earlier also Singh was suspended from the House over his misconduct and the video clipping of the House cannot be given to him as it was confidential property of the council.

The hearing remained inconclusive and the bench posted the matter for further hearing on January 20.

On Wednesday, the top court had restrained the Election Commission of India from declaring the Bihar Legislative Council bye-election result for the seat previously held by the expelled RJD leader.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Singh, had submitted that RJD leader Singh has been made accused in the case related to the use of the word "Palturam" while referring to the Bihar CM and another RJD legislator had used similar remark as well.

However, only Singh was expelled whereas the other MLC was just suspended for a couple of days, said Singhvi.

Singh was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council in July last year for unruly behaviour in the House.

Singh, considered close to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his family, was charged for sloganeering against the CM on February 13, 2024, during a heated exchange in the House.

On January 6, the top court said that legislators should be respectful even while dissenting, as it fixed for final hearing a plea challenging the expulsion of Singh from Bihar's upper house for his remarks against the CM.

In 2024, the motion for Singh's expulsion was passed by voice vote, a day after the ethics committee submitted its report to acting chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh.

Singh was also charged for "insulting the chief minister by mimicking his body language" and questioning the competence of the members of the ethics committee after appearing before it.

In addition to Singh's expulsion, another RJD MLC, Mohd Qari Sohaib, who also engaged in disruptive behaviour on the same day, was suspended for two days.

The ethics committee report said while Sohaib expressed regret for his actions during the inquiry, Singh remained defiant. PTI MNL MNL KVK KVK