BENGALURU: “A national malady” — is how Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar chose to describe the prevailing political situation in Karnataka.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the 11 rebel coalition MLAs and accepting their resignations in “prescribed format”, he said he will not be bullied into hurrying up procedures regarding the resignations.
“I am neither responsible for the political instability that has set in nor am I interested in its outcome. I am obligated to the people of this state and to the Constitution. My job is to place facts before them,” he said.
Insisting that it was not his job to decide who should remain or who should go (in power), Ramesh Kumar said he had been in public life maintaining his integrity for the last 40 years, but the resignation drama had painted a picture of him as an ‘escapist’.
the Speaker said, “Considering the prevailing situation, I will not comment on whether these resignations are genuine or not. I will leave it to the public. I am not obligated to anybody apart from people and Constitution. I can’t dance to anyone else’s tunes,” he said.
He refused to set a deadline to complete the procedures, insisting that he can’t be forced into fast-tracking them.
Kumar added that the MLAs had expressed security concerns as the reason for shifting to Mumbai. “Had they informed me, I would have arranged for their safety. Was there a need for them to first go to Mumbai then approach SC in New Delhi to come to meet me?” he wondered. Kumar, however, pointed out that the MLAs are still bound by the whip issued by their parties since their resignations are yet to be accepted.