Amidst heightened crisis in the Karnataka coalition government, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked 10 rebel Congress and JDS MLAs to “meet the state Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar at 6 pm today and submit their resignations if they wish to do so”.
The apex court also ordered the DGP of Karnataka to provide protection to all the rebel MLAs.
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The Supreme Court further asked the Speaker to take a decision on the matter in the remaining part the day itself.
The hearing was adjourned for tomorrow.
Earlier on Wednesday, the rebel lawmakers moved the Supreme Court accusing the Speaker of abandoning his constitutional duty and deliberately delaying acceptance of their resignations.
This came a day after Speaker Ramesh Kumar dismissed resignations of eight of the 13 lawmakers as “faulty”.
Read | Day after Karnataka Speaker terms resignations ‘faulty’, rebel MLAs move SC
He said the resignations were not done in the correct format as per the guidelines of the Karnataka Assembly Act. He further gave two days time for the remaining five MLAs to meet him. He said he will meet two of the members on July 12 after the Assembly session and the remaining three after July 15.
The 13-month-old coalition government is trying to save its face desperately after a total of 18 MLAs resigned from the ruling alliance – 13 from Congress and three from JD (S) by Saturday and two more, including one Independent on Monday.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar was detained by Mumbai Police on Wednesday who after being denied entry, was sitting outside Renaissance Hotel where 10 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs are staying.
Read | DK Shivakumar, waiting outside Mumbai hotel, detained by police; Section 144 imposed
Huge drama unfolded as Shivakumar was stopped outside the gates of Renaissance – Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel after the rebel lawmakers refused to meet him.
The rebel MLAs had reportedly written to the police stating that they felt “threatened with the minister’s arrival”.
However, Shivakumar, who is still in Mumbai, on Thursday exuded confidence that the MLAs will withdraw their resignations.
