Delhi Assembly Speaker gives one more chance to rebel AAP MLAs for personal hearing on July 9

Rebel AAP MLAs Devender Sehrawat and Anil Bajpai, facing proceedings under the anti-defection law, on Thursday failed to appear before the Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, who fixed next date of hearing on July 9.

The proceedings have been started against Beejwasan MLA Sehrawat and Gandhi Nagar legislator Bajpai, for joining the BJP as alleged through a petition by AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj.

"Both the MLAs did not appear for hearing before the speaker. They have been asked by the speaker to file their replies by July 8 and appear in person for hearing on the next day," said an official of Delhi Assembly Secretariat.

The two MLAs allegedly joined the BJP and were seen along with the party leaders slamming the AAP leaders during the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

The duo have been sending their lawyers to the assembly in response to the notices issued to them by the speaker last month.

In response to the notice, they demanded typed and translated copies of the newspaper reports annexed with Bhardwaj's petition, which they claimed were not readable.

The speaker gave them a week to file their replies by July 3 and appear for personal hearing on July 4.

Sehrawat and Bajpai told reporters on Wednesday that they had filed their replies to the assembly secretary through their lawyers.

"We have objected to the hearing of our disqualification under anti-defection law by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel," they said.

Sehrawat had also moved the Supreme Court, challenging the notice issued to him. The apex court had asked him to first appear before the speaker.

The speaker has also issued notices under the anti-defection law to two other rebel AAP MLAs Kapil Mishra and Sandeep Kumar.