NEW DELHI: After hearing marathon arguments, the Supreme Court on Friday reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the disqualification of 17 Karnataka MLAs before the trust vote moved by the previous HD Kumaraswamy government.
Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state Congress, said the matter needs to be referred to the Constitution Bench as then Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar had exercised his powers to disqualify the MLAs and his decision cannot be questioned.
“Eleven people decide to put in their resignation on the same day. Any Speaker would naturally inquire into why 11 MLAs are resigning suddenly,” Sibal contended.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the office of the current Assembly Speaker, submitted that under the Constitution, a lawmaker has a right to resign and the Speaker should accept it.