Karnataka crisis: BS Yeddyurappa says SC ruling is a ‘victory of Constitution and democracy’
The disgruntled legislators, meanwhile, told reporters said there was no question of attending the trust vote in the Assembly on Thursday.
Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party President BS Yeddyurappa on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court’s interim ruling on the pleas filed by the state’s rebel MLAs, calling it a “victory of the Constitution and democracy”, ANI reported.
Yeddyurappa claimed that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had lost his majority and must resign on Thursday, when the Assembly holds a trust vote. Welcoming the verdict, he called it a “moral victory for the rebel MLAs”.
Since July 1, sixteen legislators, including the 15 who moved the top court, have stepped down from their posts, plunging the state into a political crisis. They belong to the ruling coalition of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular).
Earlier in the day, the top court left it to Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to decide on the resignations within an appropriate time frame, but ordered that they should not be compelled to attend the proceedings of the House.
BS Yeddyurappa, BJP: Karnataka CM has lost his mandate, when there is no majority he must resign tomorrow. I welcome SC's decision, it's the victory of constitution&democracy, a moral victory for rebel MLAs. It's only an interim order, SC will decide powers of Speaker in future. pic.twitter.com/LAPOFsHDK8
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2019
The disgruntled legislators told reporters that there was no question of attending the Assembly. “We all are together, we stand by our decision,” they said.
State Congress Working President Eshwar Khandre also welcomed the order and said he was hopeful that the MLAs would return to the party and help the coalition government win the floor test, News9 reported. However, Congress’ national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the ruling set a “terrible precedent”.
“SC’s order nullifying the whip, and by extension operation of Constitution’s 10th Schedule to punish MLAs betraying the public mandate, sets a terrible judicial precedent, he tweeted. “Blanket protection to MLAs, who are driven not by ideology but by far baser concerns, is unheard of.”
The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the anti-defection law, provides for the disqualification of legislators for violating the party whip, as long as the number of legislators doing so is fewer than two-thirds of their legislative party.
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In a blow to Karnataka government, SC says 15 rebel MLAs cannot be forced to take part in trust vote
SC’s order nullifying the Whip & by extension, operation of Constitution’s Xth Schedule to punish MLA’s betraying the public mandate, sets a terrible judicial precedent!
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) July 17, 2019
Blanket protection to MLA’s, who are driven not by ideology but by far baser concerns, is unheard-of.
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