Supreme Court Rejects Meenakshi Natarajan Plea In Rajya Sabha Nomination Case | NewsX

[00:00:00]regarding this proposal. We'll move on to the next important story that we're tracking for you. Meenakshi Natarajan has received no relief from the Supreme Court.

[00:00:10]The petition was dismissed by the apex court uh which actually challenged the cancellation of her nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections. The Supreme Court stated, and I'm quoting here, "We are not inclined to consider this petition."

[00:00:26]A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Atul Chandurkar delivered the verdict. The petition was filed challenging the cancellation of her nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh.

[00:00:42]So, this is the latest that we are in fact getting for you. A petition was filed in the apex court regarding the cancellation of Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination to the Rajya Sabha. And now the Supreme Court two judge bench has in fact declined uh to consider this petition. We have already seen that the Congress party in fact staged protests over there in the national capital. But now we're learning that the apex court has not considered this petition. Let me go across to my colleague uh Sambhav Sharma who joins us for more on this. Sambhav, take us through the details of what went on during the court hearing.

[00:01:34]Sambhav, if you can hear us?

[00:01:40]All right, we seem to have uh lost that connection uh with my colleague Sambhav.

[00:01:46]Uh let's look at some more information flowing our way. NewsX has exclusively spoken to Meenakshi Natarajan after the Supreme Court dismissed her plea. Let's listen in.

[00:01:58]>> The Election Commission to compromise All right. So, we have the first reaction from Meenakshi Natarajan as well. Remember that the Congress party is already protesting against the Election Commission of India saying that they Why have they in fact rejected her nomination? But now we have a statement from Meenakshi Natarajan as well after the apex court declined to in fact listen to this petition. So, now we're learning that Meenakshi Natarajan has also lashed out at the Election Commission of India. She's saying that the Election Commission of India is compromised.

[00:02:52]Let me go across to my colleague Sambhav who's with us now on this broadcast.

[00:02:57]Sambhav, if you can take us through the details of the court hearing that took place in the Meenakshi Natarajan case.

[00:03:03]>> Well, absolutely. Here the two-judge bench of the Supreme Court in a detailed hearing which took place in the Supreme Court for around for over an hour. Here the top court two-judge bench finally has dismissed Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's petition challenging the rejection of her nomination from Madhya Pradesh for the Rajya Sabha elections. And here the two-judge bench said that she is free to file an election petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. And also what the top court has said is that while no relief as such as of now to Meenakshi Natarajan from the Supreme Court, but the top court has said that we are not inclined to entertain this particular petition. And two-judge bench has rejected it.

[00:03:50]However, what transpired inside the courtroom, especially what is said by a I mean the Supreme Court and is that I mean article 329 of Indian Constitution in a way does not allow this petition to be filed at this stage and that is what the Commission what the top court said. But on the other hand senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was there for Meenakshi Natarajan inside the courtroom and he said that he quoted rather section 323, which is intentional disobedience of order of the BNS and said that the matter which is being raised by the Election Commission of India while dismissing this Meenakshi Natarajan's case is at pre-cognizance level. Even the cognizance is not being taken and that's why this this is not lawful in a way and I really should be given to Meenakshi Natarajan in this case. However, after hearing arguments for around an hour, the top court has dismissed Meenakshi Natarajan's petition. However, she can approach the High Court as and when she wants.

[00:05:08]>> Okay, thank you so much Samba for all those details. Let me also rope in my colleague Anand Singh, who joins us on the broadcast. Anand, uh now that the apex court has you know dismissed the petition that was filed by Meenakshi Natarajan, what's next for her? We have the first reaction from her and she's saying that the Election Commission of India seems to be compromised.

[00:05:32]>> Yeah, Shailani, look the way in which today Meenakshi Natarajan soon after the Supreme Court ruling when the Supreme Court dismissed her petition that her nomination was rejected. So, speaking to us clearly mentioned that how the election commission was compromised and they had been saying this from the very first day after the returning officer in Bhopal rejected her nomination as mentioned that she did not mention the court notice that was issued to her. But the Congress party and she had maintained that the entire column was only meant for the any of the criminal cases filed against them if in any of the cases the court has taken cognizance or any charges have been framed. But that column was not there and it was only a court notice a private notice which was served to her and it is the reason why she said made these remarks that that they were election commission has been compromised and Meenakshi Natarajan did not stop here. She said that this is clearly a murder of democracy and the way in which her nomination has been rejected by the returning officer there in Bhopal. Back to you Vinay.

[00:06:53]>> [clears throat] >> Anand, if there is any information regarding what's the next step of action by Meenakshi Natarajan because now that the apex court has dismissed her petition, she was earlier not speaking on this issue saying that it was sub judice. Now that the Supreme Court has dismissed the petition, what's next for Meenakshi Natarajan?

[00:07:17]>> Yeah, when I spoke to Meenakshi Natarajan Shivani, then she was very categorical. You know, I am not an independent candidate and whatever decision has to be taken, it will be the party leadership that needs to take a decision whether they need to go to high court to challenge it. As the Supreme Court has said that she can approach high court also in regard to the judgment that has come over the decision of resignation so she was very categorical that the party leadership will decide the future course of action. However, we have seen earlier in the day that how all the Congress MLA's from Madhya Pradesh they stood united here at Congress headquarters as they very categorically mentioned that BJP was rattled with their unity and they feared that none of the Congress MLA's will be cross voting in this Rajya Sabha election and it was the reason why such a flimsy ground was brought up to reject her nomination papers and they have even said that they will be taking up this issue on the streets as it's the only way to mark their protest and to make people aware that how autocratic functioning is going on in the country and this is what Meenakshi Natarajan is also saying. Earlier at the time of the press conference she had very clearly mentioned that she won't be communicating as the Supreme Court uh judgement and the Supreme Court hearing was to go on with this matter and the matter was subjected at that point of time. That's it.

[00:08:48]>> All right, thank you so much Anand for all those details.

[00:08:51]Let's move on to some other stories. A stone was reportedly pelted