Shillong, November 13: The petitioner of the PIL Mr. Madal Sumer, today met the Governor of Meghalaya Mr Ganga Prasad , to seek the disqualification of 17 MLAs appointed as parliamentary secretaries.
Mr Sumer was accompanied by Augustine Shanpru, in the wake of the Meghalaya High Court that struck down the Meghalaya Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2005 as invalid.
In the petition, Mr Sumer urged the Governor, being the highest Constitutional authority of the state, to exercise the power contemplated under Article 192 of the Constitution of India and to take a decision on the issue of disqualification of all the 17 MLAs.
Speaking to the media outside Raj Bhavan in the evening, Shanpru said, “On the part of the Governor, he made it clear that he will follow the Article 192 of the Indian Constitution.” The Governor informed them that the matter will have to be taken up at the level of the Speaker as well as the Election Commission of India.
In the petition, Sumer stated that the 17 MLAs held the post under the State which was capable of yielding pecuniary gain and as such they were holding the “office of profit” under the state as per the proposition of law laid down by the Supreme Court. Ha Mr Sumer said MLAs are therefore liable to be disqualified for holding “office of profit” under the Article 191 (1) (a) of Constitution of India,” he stated.