Ranchi, Feb. 25: Speaker Dinesh Oraon has expressed his displeasure at the tone and tenor of a letter written by the JMM to him seeking a "constitutional and moral" explanation for allowing six JVM MLAs to join the BJP.

In his letter of February 15, JMM central secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya had questioned the Speaker's actions and hinted obliquely at his partisan nature.

"Asking such questions to the Speaker, who also heads a tribunal where this case is pending, is not correct. Asking such questions is an act against the prestige of the tribunal," the Speaker's office shot back today in a letter issued to the JMM.

Sources said the Speaker had directed his office to ensure that their reply conveyed to the JMM that the Speaker's wasn't a political post. "You are neither a petitioner nor associated with this case. Hence, information can't be provided to you. All these six MLAs have been served with a notice to explain their position," said the letter signed by a joint secretary rank official of the Assembly.

Sources said some of the questions raised by the JMM in the letter, written in Hindi, were in bad light.

"You had said that a decision about the MLAs will be taken after hearing the aggrieved party, the JVM, and you will adhere to natural justice. Is this the definition of natural justice that you helped the MLAs by allowing their merger without hearing the petitioner?

"It seems the six JVM MLAs are being honoured for their wrongs. Can it be called natural justice that a person sentenced to death for no crime is ordered to come back to life and challenge his murderers (defectors)... Does our Constitution allow an elected representative to relinquish his original political party just by sending informing to Speaker," the JMM letter said.

Speaker Oraon said he was not bound to reply to such letters. "The matter is sub-judice in nature. Selection of words was offending and a reply has been sent today," he added.

Oraon explained that after he accepted JVM chief Babulal Marandi's petition, he issued notices to the six MLAs, which meant that had become quasi-judicial in nature.

A tribunal headed by the Speaker would take a final decision, which is subject to legal scrutiny, but till such time the case was finalised no court could interfere.

The JMM, which has plans to raise the issue with the JVM in the House when it convenes on Friday, saw nothing wrong in its letter.

"I had only sought a reply on behalf of the people of the state because morality in politics has come under question due to the unethical conduct of these MLAs (six). I am yet to receive the Speaker's reply," Bhattacharya said.

JMM has extended moral and political support to the JVM after six of its eight MLAs - Navin Jaiswal (Hatia), Ganesh Gounjhu (Simaria), Amar Kumar Bauri (Chandankyari), Alok Kumar Chourasia (Daltonganj), Randhir Kumar Singh (Sarath) and Janki Prasad Yadav (Barkathha) - joined the BJP on February 11.