The High Court of Manipur on November 29 set aside the disqualification order passed by the Speaker of state Legislative Assembly against MLA Tongbram Robindro of Thanga Assembly Constituency .

The division bench of chief justice Sanjay Kumar and justice MV Muralidaran stated that there is a clear and flagrant violation of the principles of natural justice while passing the order as no opportunity was given to the MLA for hearing before passing the order.  The elected member of the assembly was divested of his position without even being put on notice and being given an opportunity of hearing, HC added.

It may be mentioned that MLA Tongbram Robindro Singh was disqualified by the Speaker of the assembly on the allegation that he had voluntarily given up the BJP, his original political party and had supported the INC.

The allegation against the MLA was that he had voluntarily given up the BJP, his original political party, and had supported the INC on June 17, 2020. The Speaker opined that the MLA had violated the provisions of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India and disqualified him from being a member of the Legislative Assembly.

It may also be noted that the Speaker had based his order on the 3 (Three) local newspaper reports which remained untested since no opportunity was given to the MLA to contest the case. 

Being aggrieved to the order, the MLA plea before the HC stayed the order in July 2020. Thereafter, a number of adjournments were taken for the purpose of filing a counter; still, the respondents in the case did not choose to file their counter-affidavits.

Robindro was elected as MLA from Thanga Assembly Constituency from Trinamool Congress. Later, he joined the BJP after dissolving the state unit of the party. He, however, left the BJP on June 17, 2020 and declared his support to the Congress party.