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  India   Politics  18 Jul 2019  Karnataka crisis: Congress leaders speak in different voices

Karnataka crisis: Congress leaders speak in different voices

THE ASIAN AGE.
Published : Jul 18, 2019, 1:43 am IST
Updated : Jul 18, 2019, 1:46 am IST

Surjewala terms order ‘terrible precedent’, Singhvi hails it.

Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy leaves Vidhana Soudha after meeting Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar in Bengaluru on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI )
 Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy leaves Vidhana Soudha after meeting Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar in Bengaluru on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI )

New Delhi: As the situation gets from bad to worse for the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, the Congress seemed to be somewhat divided on the issue.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said 15 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs in Karnataka “ought not” to be compelled to participate in the proceedings of the ongoing session of the state Assembly and should be given the option of either taking part or staying out of it.

While Congress chief spokesperson, Randip Surjewala described the SC verdict as a “terrible judicial precedent”, legal luminary and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is also a spokesperson claimed that it was “not a victory for the BJP” as the top court indicated that the Speaker has a “free hand in running the Asembly”.

“We have emerged victorious. Ninety per cent of the case argued says the speaker should decide in x number of days. Honourable court says we should not fetter the Speaker in any case,” Mr Singhvi said in a media briefing. “The SC has said the Speaker can decide what he likes, when he likes and hence the Speaker will decide. Where is the question of acting on a whip which has not been issued yet,” he further said.

The senior lawyer said that if more people resign, the government should go, that’s how democracy works. There’s been a misinformation campaign over the last couple of weeks. The Speaker will now be the master of the proceedings. He will decide as per his discretion. In the morning, however, Mr Surjewala had tweeted that the Supreme Court order on the Karnataka political crisis nullifying the whip and providing “blanket protection” to MLAs who have betrayed public mandate sets a “terrible judicial 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 said in a series of tweets. “Blanket protection to MLAs, who are driven not by ideology but by far baser concerns, is unheard-of”.

Tags: congress-jds government, karnataka crisis