The Supreme Court on Friday ordered Assembly Speaker to maintain status quo in connection with the resignation of 10 rebel MLAs of Congress and JD-S who tendered their resignation on Thursday. The Top Court Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that the Court will hear the matter again on Tuesday, July 16.
Hearing in the matter of rebel Karnataka MLAs: The Supreme Court said, we will consider the issue on Tuesday. https://t.co/3O0wV1Kq0Q
— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2019
During the hearing, Senior Lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, representing the rebel MLAs’, submitted to the Supreme Court that the Speaker is answerable to this court, except under certain circumstances.
‘He may not respond under certain sections and provisions, he is an entitled exemption’, Rohatgi added while arguing in the Court representing the rebel factions.
While Senior Congress Leader and Lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, raised questions on intentions. Singhvi said, ‘The MLAs’ intention in giving resignation is something different, and it is to avoid disqualification.’.
Hearing in the matter of Karnataka rebel MLAs: Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argues that these MLAs' intention in giving resignation is something different, and it is to avoid disqualification. https://t.co/R2MUdzt78u
— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2019
In the meantime, Senior Lawyer Rajeev Dhawan, representing Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, raised questions to the submission of the rebel MLAs that claimed that the Assembly speaker has acted in a mala-fide manner.
Earlier on Thursday, On the directions of the Top Court, all the 10 disgruntled Lawmakers reached Bangalore and met the Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar. The rebels submitted their resignation personally to Assembly Speaker.
However, after meeting the rebel MLAs, Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said he would require time to go through the resignations in a detailed matter.
‘I will go through them and decide after I hear them personally’, he told reporters after meeting the MLAs. He added that he needs to examine these resignations (of rebel MLAs) all night and ascertain if they are genuine’.
If the resignation of all the rebel MLAs accepted, then the strength of the ruling Congress and JD-S will come down to 103. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 106 MLAs.
The 13-months old coalition government suffered a huge setback on Saturday last week when 11 MLAs from Congress–JD(S) ruling coalition tendered their resignation. And thereafter political episode and drama started in Karnataka.
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