SC to hear Meenakshi Natarajan's plea on RS nomination rejection

The Supreme Court will hear Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's plea challenging her Rajya Sabha nomination rejection. Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued the rejection was illegal as the criminal case against her had not even reached cognisance stage.

The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's plea challenging the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination papers. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi today mentioned the matter before a bench of Justices PK Mishra and Atul S. Chandurkar, describing it as a genuinely urgent case and seeking either an early listing or a one-line interim order.

Taking note of the submissions, the Supreme Court listed the matter for hearing tomorrow. Arguing that the Returning Officer wrongly rejected Natarajan's nomination for allegedly failing to disclose a pending criminal case, Singhvi submitted, "Only a summons was issued (against her), not even a cognisance of the case. The Returning Officer disqualifies her."

Congress Alleges 'Perverse' Rejection

The plea contends that the Returning Officer acted illegally, arbitrarily and with bias, and seeks the immediate setting aside of the decision rejecting her nomination papers.

Earlier on Wednesday, a ten-member Congress delegation met with the Election Commission in New Delhi over the rejection of party Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination from Madhya Pradesh.

Congress MP and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that the Returning Officer's decision to reject the nomination of Natarajan is "perverse" and contrary to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, as the criminal matter against the Congress candidate has not even reached the stage of cognisance.

Shingvi argued that the nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan had been rejected at a stage far earlier than what the law requires for disclosure. Congress saw the rejection of nomination papers as a "political conspiracy" to secure all three Rajya Sabha seats for the BJP, while the ruling party questioned Natarajan over the non-disclosure of relevant information. (ANI)

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