HC dismisses Chirag's plea challenging LS Speaker's decision to recognise Paras as LoP

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea by leader of one of the factions of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Chirag Pawan challenging the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decision to recognise his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras as the leader of the party in the House, saying it was without merits.

It is well settled that the right to regulate internal disputes of the House is the prerogative of the Speaker, the high court said.

I find absolutely no merit in the petition. The petition is dismissed, Justice Rekha Palli said.

The high court, which was inclined to impose cost on Chirag, did not do so after a request was made by his counsel.

The petition sought setting aside speaker's June 14 circular showing the name of Paras as leader of Jan Lokshakti Party in the Lok Sabha.

Paras, who was administered the oath of office as Union cabinet minister on July 7, has spent the larger part of his career under the shadow of his late brother Ram Vilas Paswan.

During the hearing, advocate Arvind Bajpai, representing Chirag, said among the six party MPs, five wrote to the Speaker to recognise Paras as leader of the party in the House and directions were passed in this regard.

Thereafter, the party chose to remove those five MPs and also approached the Speaker to take action and declare Chirag as the leader of the party in the House, he said.

However, the speaker has not corrected the alleged mistake of recognizing Paras as the leader of the party in the House, the counsel argued.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, and senior advocate Raj Shekhar for the speaker's office vehemently opposed the petition saying Chirag was attempting to get the inter-party dispute resolved in the court.

They said five out of six members of the party had approached the Speaker with the fact that Paras was the whip holder of the party and that the action of the Speaker cannot be faulted with.

The apex court said it was inclined to agree with the submissions of the counsel for the Centre and the Speaker's office.

The judge said, Now it is very clear. If you want to press, it is your wish. I am clear that this is inter-party dispute. You can exercise your remedies. You take your call, I will then pass an order by making some observations.

Chirag's counsel submitted he was not here to settle the inter-party dispute and the chief whip cannot claim that he should be declared as leader of the party in the House.

The high court, however, made it clear that it was not going to entertain the petition and said should the court interfere in all this.