The Delhi High Court has sought a response from the Speaker’s office on a petition by BJP leader Kartar Singh Tanwar challenging his recent disqualification from the Delhi Legislative Assembly. Justice Sanjeev Narula issued a notice to the President and fixed the next hearing for December 9.

Tanwar, who was elected from Chhatarpur constituency on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket in 2020, was disqualified by President Ram Niwas Goel on September 24 under the anti-defection law. The action followed his departure from the AAP to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in July, along with another MP, Raaj Kumar Anand.

During the court proceedings, senior advocate Jayant Mehta, appearing for Tanwar, argued that the disqualification order lacked clarity and was issued without giving Tanwar an opportunity for a personal hearing. He pointed out that the disqualification hampered Tanwar’s legislative responsibilities and blocked important development works in his region.

The petition, filed by advocates Neeraj and Satya Ranjan Swain, seeks to set aside the September 24 disqualification order. Additionally, MP Dilip Kumar Pandey was named in the petition as he was responsible for the complaint that led to Tanwar’s disqualification.

In his appeal, Tanwar mentioned that he was motivated to join AAP because of the ‘India Against Corruption’ movement. However, he criticized the party for its involvement in various scandals, saying these issues damaged its image and revealed the true character of its leadership.