SC final warning to T speaker, gives 3 wks on defection cases

New Delhi: In a sharp escalation over the long-pending defection cases in Telangana, Supreme Court on Friday issued a final warning to the state assembly speaker, making it clear that contempt proceedings will follow if he fails to decide the disqualification petitions against the remaining 2 of the 10 BRS MLAs who defected to the Congress within three weeks.A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and AG Masih, hearing a contempt plea filed by the BRS MLAs, expressed growing impatience with the repeated delays in adjudication. Addressing senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who appeared for the speaker, Justice Karol remarked, "We request you not to make reels out of it. This is what is happening. Do not do it. What is happening is, it is a new industry."Singhvi told the court that a decision had already been taken in one case and that the speaker was on the verge of deciding two more. Citing the ongoing municipal elections in Teangana, he sought three weeks' time to conclude the remaining disqualification proceedings.The counsel appearing for the BRS MLAs countered this claim, pointing out that the speaker had sought time earlier as well and that only one meeting had been held so far to address the petitions.The bench recalled that at the previous hearing, the speaker had asked for three weeks, but the court had allowed only two weeks to assess progress. "We expect the speaker to positively take a decision, failing which we shall proceed to issue contempt," the bench warned.The contempt proceedings arise from the speaker's continued failure to act on the court's earlier directions. On Jan 16, the top court had asked the speaker to file a status report within two weeks, detailing steps taken to adjudicate the disqualification pleas. Earlier, on Nov 17, 2025, the court had issued a contempt notice to the speaker for non-compliance.The issue traces back to the apex court's July 31, 2024 judgment, which directed the speaker to decide the disqualification pleas within three months. The court had then described the delay as the ‘grossest kind of contempt' and issued notices not only to the speaker but also on a separate plea from the speaker's office seeking an eight-week extension.The contempt plea stems from writ petitions filed by BRS leaders KT Rama Rao, Padi Kaushik Reddy and KP Vivekanand, challenging the inaction on the disqualification of MLAs who crossed over to the ruling Congress.Reiterating its constitutional position, the apex court underlined that the speaker functions as a tribunal under the 10th Schedule while deciding defection cases and therefore does not enjoy ‘constitutional immunity.' The 10th Schedule deals with disqualification of legislators on grounds of defection. PTI