New Delhi, Jul 11 (UNI) As a high-profile drama unfolded, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed ten rebel MLAs from Karnataka to appear before Speaker Ramesh Kumar of the Legislative Assembly by 1800 hrs.
Headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, the bench asked the Speaker to take a decision in the remaining part of the day on the resignations of the rebel MLAs which had sparked off a crisis in India's high-tech hub.
The bench declined to give an urgent hearing to the plea filed by the Speaker, asking the court to vacate the order passed by it in the morning, directing him to decide on the rebel MLAs resignation matter, by this evening.
Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior counsel appearing for the Speaker, mentioned the matter before the apex court bench, seeking an urgent hearing.
Speaker's plea turned down
Dr Singhvi submitted that the court should vacate the order but the bench held, 'No, we will hear it tomorrow.'
Ruling that it had already passed the order, the apex court held it was for the Speaker to decide the matter.
The MLAs are now expected to fly from Mumbai to Bengaluru to meet the Speaker. In their plea, they had alleged that the Speaker had refused to meet them all together.
The apex court also ordered the DGP of Karnataka to provide protection to all the rebel MLAs.
It requested the Speaker to inform the court of the developments by Friday, when the court will resume hearing on the plea of the rebel MLAs.
Major developments were underway in Bengaluru as a cabinet meeting had the city on edge. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is scheduled to chair the consultations. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Alok Kumar has issued prohibitory orders within the two-km area around the Vidhana Soudha.
UNI XC RP1743