New Delhi: Putting the Karnataka political turmoil to a pause, the Supreme Court Friday said that Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar will not act on the resignations of 10 dissident MLAs belonging to ruling coalition or on Congress Party’s move to get them disqualified under anti-defection law.
The bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Aniruddha Bose ordered status quo as court was told that Speaker has said that he would require time till Monday to verify the resignation and to satisfy himself that they were made voluntarily.
Directing the further hearing of the matter on July 16, the court said that the question of substantial importance involving Articles 190, 361 of the constitution have arisen including which would be priority of the Speaker when faced with twin issue of the resignation by the lawmakers and the plea for their disqualification.
The hearing also saw CJI Gogoi asking senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Speaker Ramesh Kumar “Is Speaker challenging the authority of Supreme Court to direct him to act. Is it the stand of the Speaker that Supreme Court should stay its hands.”
At the outset of the hearing, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for 10 dissident MLAs pressing for the acceptance of their resignations, told the court Speaker had questioned the lawmakers on their approaching the top court when he was available.
time limit, senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan told the court that submitting resignation to Governor was of no consequence as he has no role in the matters involving Speaker and the lawmakers attracting anti-defection law.
