NEW DELHI: Ten rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs in Karnataka on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court complaining about the delay by the Assembly Speaker in accepting their resignations.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing on behalf of MLAs mentioned the case for urgent hearing before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
During a brief argument, Rohtagi urged the bench to hear the case on an urgent basis today and said, “Time is of the essence.”
But the bench said it can’t hear the case today and said that they will see if they can hear the case tomorrow.
The petitioners said that the Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar was delaying acceptance of their letters by pointing out that they did not meet the parameters as laid down in the rules.
Kumar has also made it clear that he would need to meet the legislators to make sure that they are voluntary and genuine before signing off on them.
The development comes amid the backdrop of the Mumbai drama on Wednesday where senior Congress leader and Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar was prevented from entering the premises where the rebel MLAs are stationed.
Shivakumar, who was accompanied by senior JD(S) MLAs, told reporters that he had booked a room in the hotel but was not being permitted inside.
However, the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel later cancelled Shivakumar's booking quoting "some emergency in the hotel".
No charges will be applicable, the Renaissance Hotel in Powai said in an e-mail.
The e-mail communication is from the assistant reservation manager to a Ms Hetavi.
"As per our conversation we wish to inform you that we have reservation in the name of DK Shivakumar:REZ775665D2. Due to some emergency in the hotel, we need to cancel the reservation. No charges will be applicable," the e-mail reads.
"They should be proud of a customer like me. I love Mumbai. I love this hotel. Let them cancel. I have other rooms also," Shivakumar said on his booking cancellation.
On Tuesday midnight, 10 of the 12 MLAs put up in the luxury hotel in Powai wrote to Mumbai Police, saying they feared a threat to their lives and asked that Shivakumar be prevented from entering the hotel.
"We have received a letter from the rebel MLAs," a senior police official said.
Shivakumar, the Congress troubleshooter, said he will not leave without meeting the MLAs.
"I only have a heart that I have come to extend to my friends. Politics is an art of possibility," he said.
There was a massive police presence outside the hotel where a group was seen shouting "Shivakumar go back".
Shivakumar said the police was telling him no room was booked in his name, but the minister insisted that he had booked a room in his name in the hotel.
"I'll not go without meeting my friends. I can't go by you (rebel Karnataka MLAs not ready to meet him), they'll call me. Their heart will break. I'm in touch already, hearts of both of us are beating," he further added.
"I am not afraid of slogans against me. Not being permitted inside because of a security threat. I have a lot of respect for the Maharashtra government. I don't have weapons," he said.
He wondered how could his presence be a threat to the rebel legislators.
"How can I be a threat to the MLAs. We are friends. If the BJP is not involved, why so many policemen are here. I have a heart, and no weapons," he said.
Two senior JD(S) lawmakers GT Devegowda (Minister of higher education) and KM Shivalinge Gowda accompanied Shivakumar to meet the rebel MLAs in Mumbai, sources told Express.
“The Congress and JD(S) are making frantic efforts to quell the rebellion and bring back some of the MLAs to save the Government from falling. The Congress has even tried to approach the MLAs through their families but even they said that they were unable to establish contact,” said the source.
Shivakumar is trying hard to appease the lawmakers and has reportedly pitched himself as the CM candidate.
Meanwhile, Speaker Ramesh Kumar has reportedly told the Congress leaders, who had asked him to disqualify the rebel MLAs, that he can only disqualify them for maximum six months.
"On the request to bar them from contesting elections, the Speaker, quoting loopholes in the Anti-Defection Law said the parties will have to go to court for that,” the source added.
On his arrival, Shivakumar said, "Let the Mumbai Police or any other force be deployed. We have come to meet our friends. We are born together in politics and will die together."
He said if BJP leaders can meet rebel MLAs, why can't he.
"Mumbai has a good government. Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) is my good friend. I have booked a room here. My friends are here, some disputes are there, they are my friends. If BJP leaders can meet, why can't we meet," he asked.
Rebel Congress leader B Basavaraj said, "We don't intend to insult DK Shivakumar. We've faith in him but there is a reason we have taken this step. Friendship, love&affection are on one side, with gratitude and respect we request him to understand why we cannot meet him today."
Shivakumar noted that he had earlier played "host to 120 MLAs from Maharashtra when Vilasrao Deshmukh was the chief minister".
Twelve MLAs -- seven of the Congress, three of the JD(S) and two Independents -- are in the city since Saturday after resigning from the Karnataka Assembly membership and withdrawing support to the state's coalition government.
The legislators in their letter said they don't want to meet Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy or Shivakumar and requested the city police not to allow them to enter the hotel promises, he said.
The letter had names and signatures of Shivram Hebbar, Pratap Gowda Patil, B C Patil, Byrati Basavraj, S T Somshekar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Gopalaiyya, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda and Mahesh Kumutali.
(With Inputs from Agencies)