Karnataka Political Crisis: SC Directs Rebel Congress-JDS MLAs To Meet Speaker At 6 PM Today

The court asked the 10 rebel Congress-JDS MLAs of Karnataka who filed the petition, to meet the Karnataka Assembly Speaker at 6 pm on Thursday and submit their resignations if they so wish.

Bengaluru: Dissident MLAs from JD(S) and Congress leave Raj Bhavan after meeting with Karnataka Governor Vajuibhai Vala, in Bengaluru, Saturday, July 6, 2019. 11 legislators of the ruling alliance submitted their resignation to speaker's office. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) (PTI7_6_2019_000130B)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the rebel Karnataka MLAs belonging to Congress and JDS to meet the Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly, after an urgent hearing of a petition filed by them on Wednesday. The court asked the 10 rebel Congress-JDS MLAs of Karnataka who filed the petition, to meet the Karnataka Assembly Speaker at 6 pm on Thursday and submit their resignations if they so wish. On the request of senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi representing the rebel MLAs, the Court also ordered the Director General of Police (DGP), Karnataka, to provide protection to all the rebel legislators. The plea was heard by a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose. It said that Karnataka Speaker has to take a decision in the remaining part of the day. The court adjourned the hearing for Friday. The Supreme Court had decided on Wednesday to accord urgent hearing on Thursday to the petition filed by 10 rebel MLAs alleging that the Karnataka Assembly Speaker was not accepting their resignations deliberately. When the issue of political crisis in Karnataka was mentioned on Wednesday morning before a bench headed by the CJI, the rebel MLAs were assured that the court will see whether their plea can be listed for an urgent hearing on Thursday. The bench took note of the submission of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the rebel MLAs, who said these lawmakers have already resigned from their membership of the assembly and wanted to contest fresh elections. He sought the hearing either on Wednesday or Thursday on the plea which has alleged that the Speaker had acted in a partisan and mala fide manner and was deliberately not accepting their resignations. In the petition, the MLAs alleged that the Speaker was protecting the government which is in minority now. The MLAs further sought a direction that the Speaker be restrained from proceeding with the application for their disqualification. "Acting in a concerted manner, the Congress party has filed a petition before the Speaker seeking disqualification of the MLAs who have resigned. Needless to state, the disqualification proceedings are completely illegal and without any cause of action," they said. In the petition, the MLAs stated that the Assembly Session is to be begin from July 12, the same day that the MLA's have been asked to remain in person before the Speaker, which showed the "intent of the Speaker to disqualify the petitioners in a prejudged manner". "The whole idea is to disqualify the petitioners and under threat of disqualification allow the minority government to function without the support of majority in the house. It is submitted that the actions of the Speaker are arbitrary and unreasonable and violative of the Constitution" the plea said. The MLAs said their resignations were voluntary and genuine, and they themselves have given innumerable television interviews and statements requesting the Speaker time and again to accept their resignation. In Karnataka, 16 MLAs, including Housing Minister M T B Nagaraj, and two Independent legislators -- R Shankar and H Nagesh – have withdrawn support to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government so far. (additional inputs from PTI)