New Delhi: Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot on Thursday moved a writ petition in the Rajasthan High Court in Jaipur challenging last month's controversial ordinance, which has extended protection to public servants, judges and magistrates against investigation and prosecution without prior sanction.

Though the BJP government tabled a bill to replace the ordinance in the Assembly on Monday, the ordinance remains in force for six weeks, as the Bill has been referred to a select committee of the House for its reconsideration.

 
Mr. Pilot's writ petition has contended that the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, promulgated on September 6, violates Article 14 (right to equality) and Article 19 (1) (a) (freedom of speech and expression) of the Constitution by curtailing the powers of courts to order investigation into complaints made against public servants.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing on Friday along with four other public interest litigation petitions.