New Delhi, Feb. 10 -- In a significant development, the Supreme Court emphasized that "the rights of a party in a democracy cannot be permitted to be frustrated" as it sought clarity on the "reasonable time" required for the Telangana Assembly Speaker to decide disqualification pleas against BRS MLAs who defected to the Congress.
A bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran was hearing petitions, including one filed by the BRS, over the delay in deciding the disqualification cases.
Justice Chandran pointedly asked, "In your perception, what is reasonable time? Reasonable has to be as per the dictionary meaning."
The Apex Court questioned whether the term "reasonable time" could imply the entire term of the assembl...