New Delhi: The Lok Sabha membership of Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal has been restored, Lok Sabha Secretary General said in a notification issued today, revoking its January 13 order. The matter about his disqualification was listed for hearing in the Supreme Court today but the notification came shortly ahead of the hearing.
Speaking on the development, Faizal said he did not "appreciate" the delay in revoking the membership. "The Secretariat took the decision of disqualifying me, the very next day my conviction was declared, at least that swiftness should have been shown for revoking my membership," he said.
Faizal was disqualified after being convicted in an attempt to murder case by a sessions court in Kavaratti but the conviction was adjourned by the Kerala High Court on January 25.
"In view of order dated 25.01.2023 of the High Court of Kerala, the disqualification of Shri Mohammed Faizal P. P., notified vide Gazette Notification no. 21/4(1)/2023/TO(B) dated the 13th January 2023 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements," read the official notification.
Kavaratti Sessions court had imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on the convicts for attempting to kill Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of late Congress leader and former Union Minister PM Sayeed, during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress MP Manish Tewari welcomed Faizal back to Lok Sabha saying the notification "should have come much earlier."
"Good to have @faizalpp786 back in Lok Sabha However this notification should have come much earlier. The High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam had passed an order on 25.01.2023 itself in Crl. M.A. No. 1 of 2023 in Crl. Appeal No. 49 of 2023, suspending
the conviction and sentencing.," he tweeted.