Defectors should be banned from holding public office for 5 years: Sibal

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday (July 19) called for amending the anti-defection law to ban all defectors from holding public office for five years and fighting the next election.

In a tweet, Sibal also said that the “antibodies” against the “virus of corrupt means” to topple elected governments lie in amending the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law).

His attack comes in the wake of a political firestorm in Rajasthan following Sachin Pilot’s rebellion against the Ashok Gehlot government, which has been on shaky ground since, with at least 18 legislators backing the rebel leader.

Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and the state Congress chief earlier this week.

The Congress has accused the BJP of making efforts to topple the Gehlot government by indulging in horse-trading.

“Need for Vaccine: Virus of corrupt means to topple elected governments has spread through a Wuhan like facility in Delhi,” Sibal tweeted, in an apparent swipe at the BJP.
He said that its antibodies lie in amending the Tenth Schedule. “Ban all defectors from: Holding public office for five years, fighting the next election,” he said.

Need for Vaccine :

Virus of “ corrupt means “ to topple elected governments has spread through a “ Wuhan like facility “ in Delhi

It’s “ antibodies “ lie in amending the Tenth Schedule

Ban all defectors from :

Holding public office for 5years
Fighting the next election

— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) July 19, 2020

Taking a swipe at Pilot over his claim that he is not joining the BJP, Sibal on Thursday if  Rajasthan’s dissident legislators were vacationing in Haryana under the “watchful eye” of the saffron party.

False rumours spread to malign

Pilot : “ I am not joining BJP “

I guess then legislators at a hotel in Manesar is merely a vacation in Haryana’s comfort zone under BJP’s watchful eye

What about “ ghar wapsi “?

— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) July 16, 2020

In another tweet earlier, Sibal expressed worry for the party and said, “Will we wake up only after the horses have bolted from our stables?” in a clear indication to former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s rebellion. Another young Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, switched to BJP along with 22 MLAs leading to the collapse of Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh in March, 2020.

In the house of 200, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including the 19 dissidents who have been issued notices of disqualification by the speaker and they have challenged them in the high court.

The Congress has maintained the claim that the Gehlot government has the support of 109 MLAs, including the two Bhartiya Tribal Party MLAs.