By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 30: The suspension letter issued by the Voice of the People Party (VPP) to Adelbert Nongrum has come under scrutiny after it failed to identify him as a sitting MLA, prompting Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma to refer the matter to the state’s legal department and the Advocate General for further examination.
The Speaker noted that the letter merely addressed Nongrum as “Mr Adelbert Nongrum,” without specifying his elected position. This omission, he indicated, could weaken the order’s legal standing.
“I somewhat agree with Adelbert also because his suspension order without mentioning him as MLA, or without addressing him as MLA, may not carry in the court of law. So that’s what technically it seems,” Sangma said.
Nongrum, who remains an elected representative in the House, submitted a request to the Speaker not to accept the suspension order.
“He requested, ‘If you can take consideration to my prayer and not accept my suspension order,’ but I’m still examining it,” the Speaker said. Sangma clarified that the suspension was brought to his notice and that it was not a matter of accepting or rejecting it at this stage.
“This suspension is only brought to my notice. It is not a question of whether I should accept or not,” he remarked.
When asked whether a political party can suspend an MLA for the duration of his term, the Speaker declined to offer an opinion, stating, “That is for the political parties concerned. I cannot comment on that. And I would not say that they should suspend or they should not suspend. It is not for me to it will not be appropriate for me to comment on that.”
