Karnataka Crisis: Can’t Force MLAs To Attend Trust Vote, Speaker Can Decide On Resignations When He Wants, Rules SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (17 July) passed an interim order holding that the 15 rebel Karnataka MLAs cannot be compelled to attend the house proceedings, reports LiveLaw.

According to the report, the SC bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose also refused to fix any time frame for the Karnataka Assembly Speaker to decide on the resignations of the rebel MLAs.

"In view of trust vote kept for tomorrow, the Supreme Court has said two important things - the 15 MLAs will not be compelled to attend the House tomorrow. All the 15 MLAs are given the liberty that they may or may not go to the House tomorrow," Mukul Rohatgi, senior advocate representing rebel MLAs, was quoted in an ANI report as saying.

“The three-line whip issued to the rebel MLAs to attend the House tomorrow is not operative in view of the Supreme Court judgement. Secondly, the Speaker has been given time to decide on the resignations as and when he wants to decide," Rohtagi said.

The Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka will go through the vote of confidence on 18 July.