Congress, a coalition partner with JDS in Karnataka Government today sought clarification from the Legislative Assembly Speaker on the directions issued earlier on Wednesday by the Supreme Court amid crisis faced by the governmment in the wake of 15 rebel MLAs quitting their seats and the matter reaching the apex court.
Briefing newsmen after meeting Legislative Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, Senior Congress leader and Law Minister Krishna Byregowda told newsmen that “we have pointed out to the Speaker that the Apex Court curtails the rights of Legislative Parties to issue whip to bring discipline in the party as well as to punish any member if a member violates the party direction.
“Speaker has stated that you can give a complaint as per 10th Schedule of the constitution in which Legislative Party leader has the right to issue Whip and I will look into it whether there is any violation or not or whether the Supreme Court has taken into consideration such issue also,” he added.
Byregowda said that when sought clarification on Supreme Court verdict no MLAs should be forced to attend the Assembly, the Speaker has clearly stated that “if a member desires to attend the House he can do so, but if he wants to remain outside and not to attend the Assembly, he has to take my permission.”
Stating that Karnataka Legislative Assembly has its own rule and functioning as per the Constitution, Krishna Byregowda said that “we felt that the Supreme Court’s directions has curbed our rights and it should be clarified Hence we complained about it to the Speaker.”
Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP, sensing that there may be possibility of the Speaker postponing the Trust Vote scheduled for June 18, has deputed a three-member team to meet the Speaker and urge him not to take any decision to postpone the tomorrow’s schedule in the Assembly on July 18 which was announced in the House by him.
BJP MLAs Maduswamy, former Speaker and senior BJP leader K G Boppaiah and former Minister and Senior BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai were part of the team. (UNI)
