Karnataka Crisis: Top Court says rebel lawmakers shouldn't be compelled to participate in state assembly.
The Supreme Court today said that the Karnataka Speaker is free to decide on resignations of 15 rebel lawmakers of the ruling Congress-Janata Dal Secular coalition in Karnataka within such time-frame as deemed appropriate by him. "Discretion of Karnataka Assembly Speaker in deciding resignation should not be fettered by direction or observations of court," the top court said amid the ongoing Karnataka crisis.
As the Karnataka political crisis played out in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that rebel lawmakers were "hunting in pack" to destabilize his government. The rebels argued that their resignations must be accepted by the Speaker, that they could not be "forced to attend the assembly". The resignations, if accepted, will leave the government in a minority.
The Speaker has requested the court to end status quo on any action against the lawmakers, asserting that he would decide on their resignation or disqualification by today.