Bhopal: BJP MLA from Ashok Nagar constituency, Jajpal Singh ‘Jajji’, who is facing alleged charges of producing a fake caste certificate to contest the Assembly elections in 2018, received a major relief as the Madhya Pradesh High Court (HC) has set aside its previous court order to nullify his membership from the state Assembly.
The development came four days after a single bench of the HC had directed the Assembly Speaker to declare the election of Jajji as ‘null’.
The MLA has challenged the single bench’s order before the joint bench of the High Court in Gwalior, and hearing the matter on Monday, the bench set aside its previous order (December 14) on this matter.
Now, the MLA, who was denied entry in the state Assembly, will be allowed to attend the ongoing Winter session from Tuesday onwards. However, the case of producing fake caste certificate will still remain as before.
“Allegation is totally false and politically motivated. I would like those who stood in my support and made me stronger to fight against baseless charges. Today’s stay order came as a big relief, which at least gave me time to prove my innocence before the court,” Jajji said while talking to IANS on Monday.
Hearing the plea of former BJP MLA Ladduram Kori, who was the candidate from Ashok Nagar constituency in 2018 Assembly elections, the court had earlier termed Jajji’s Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate as ‘fake’ and along with nullifying the legislature, directed the police to register a criminal case against him for contesting from a seat reserved for SCs on the basis of a fake caste certificate.
Jajji, who is considered a staunch supporter of the Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, was among those 20 Congress MLAs, who had joined the BJP in March 2020. Later, he contested the elections on a BJP ticket and won.
Ladduram Kori had in his plea accused Jajji of contesting elections from the reserve seat for SCs despite not being eligible. He has alleged that the BJP MLA has produced fake Scheduled Caste certificate.
(IANS)
