Karnataka Congress Committee President (KPCC) Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday approached the Supreme Court amid the ongoing Karnataka crisis. In his plea to the Top Court, Dinesh Gundu Rao claimed that the Supreme Court Verdict of July 17 had violated the right of a political party to issue a whip to all its legislators.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the 15 rebel MLAs cannot be compelled to take part in the proceedings of the House. It also asserted that the Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar cannot be forced to take a call within a time frame on the resignation of the rebel MLAs.
Speaking on the verdict, Mukul Rohatgi, Senior Advocate representing the rebels said, ‘In view of Trust Vote kept for tomorrow, SC has said two important things- 15 MLAs will not be compelled to attend the House tomorrow. All 15 MLAs are given the liberty that may or may not go to the House tomorrow’.
The plea was filed by 10 rebels of Congress and JD(S) alleging the Assembly Speaker of delaying in accepting the resignation.
In the meantime, Congress State In-charge KC Venugopal slammed BJP and accused it of using the Governor’s office. Taking to Twitter, KC Venugopal said, ‘It is shameful that, instead of upholding the Constitution, the Karnataka Governor has turned to be an agent of BJP. He can’t interfere in the functioning of the Legislative Assembly. Stop converting Raj Bhavan to BJP Office
It is shameful that, instead of upholding the Constitution, the Karnataka Governor has turned to be an agent of BJP. He can't interfere in the functioning of Legislative Assembly. Stop converting Raj Bhavan to BJP Office
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) July 19, 2019
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader SG Siddharamaian, speaking in the assembly on Thursday, asserted that there his need to have clarification on Top Court’s verdict.
Siddaramaiah said that because of the SC order, rebels would not appear in the House and did not follow a party’s whip. ‘If we go ahead with the confidence motion, it will be a big loss to the coalition government’, Siddaramaiah reportedly said while asserting that it violated the party’s right to issue whips to its MLAs.
It should be noted that Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday initiated a discussion on a Confidence motion in the House. However, the Chief Minister avoided the voting trust and later started dragging away the feet from the voting trust.
Irked with not holding the floor test, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs held an overnight Dharna in the Karnataka Assembly demanding the coalition government to hold a floor test.
While Friday, In the meantime, Karnataka Assembly skipped the deadline set by the Governor Vajubhai Vala to the Assembly to prove majority by 1.30 pm on Friday. Following which the Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar Ramesh Kumar adjourned the House till 3 pm.
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