The Supreme Court set to hear a petition filed by MLC Sunil Singh regarding allegations of mimicking Nitish Kumar on January 9. The case involves claims against Singh for impersonating the Bihar Chief Minister. This legal matter will be addressed in the upcoming hearing. The petition’s resolution is awaited on this significant date.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear the petition filed by Sunil Singh, who lost his MLC membership due to allegations of making derogatory remarks about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on January 9.
Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Singh, argued that the Election Commission cannot assert that elections cannot proceed while a case is ongoing.
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar noted that Singh had also created a mockery of Nitish Kumar.
During the hearing of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLC Sunil Singh’s appeal against his expulsion from the Bihar Legislative Council for allegedly making defamatory remarks about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Justice Surya Kant of the Supreme Court warned today that “even while dissenting, one must maintain respect.”
The case is being reviewed by a bench led by Justice Suryakant, who remarked on the role of humor in politics. Singhvi countered that freedom of expression is inherent in the legislature, particularly during debates, and warned that a permanent expulsion would create a vacancy.
Sunil Singh’s petition challenges the Speaker’s decision to revoke his MLC membership. Known as a close associate of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Singh is accused of mocking Nitish Kumar, leading the Chairman of the Legislative Council to approve his dismissal. He had been absent from the last four sessions and appeared in the fifth without defending himself against the allegations.
Additionally, Singh has made several controversial statements regarding Nitish Kumar, which have been labeled as un-parliamentary and anti-democratic.
In a related incident, RJD MLC Kari Sohail was suspended for two days during the winter session. On February 13, 2024, Singh made an inappropriate remark about Nitish Kumar during the Governor’s address, which was reported to the Ethics Committee by JD(U) MLC Bhishma Sahani.
The committee, led by Vice Chairman of the Legislative Council, Professor Ramvachan Rai, investigated the matter and submitted a report to the Speaker, confirming the allegations against Singh and recommending disciplinary measures.
The alleged incident occurred during the budget session in February 2024, leading to Sunil Singh’s expulsion based on a recommendation from the Ethics Committee of the Bihar Legislative Council. Singh faced accusations of referring to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as “Palturam” and mimicking him.
The committee’s recommendation included the following statement,
“As the Chief Whip of the Opposition, his legislative responsibilities should emphasize the policies, rules, and constitutional authority of the House. However, he did not adhere to this in his conduct and behavior. His attempts to enter the well of the House, raise unruly slogans, disrupt proceedings, disobey the Chair’s directives, and insult the Leader of the House with defamatory and disrespectful remarks have undermined the dignity of the Upper House.”
In response to this recommendation, Singh filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, contesting the report as illegal and unconstitutional. He also sought a directive to prevent the declaration of an election following the vacancy notification. In August 2024, the Supreme Court acknowledged the petition but declined to issue any interim order.
Case Title
SUNIL KUMAR SINGH v. BIHAR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND ORS., W.P.(C) No. 530/2024
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