Karnataka political crisis | Will accept resignations only after careful consideration, says Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar 

Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar addressing the media. (Image: Twitter/@kpswaathi)

Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar will accept resignations only after careful consideration and if they are in the proper format.

“I don’t want to make any decisions in a haste. I need to first convince myself that these resignations are voluntary. If they are, they will be accepted,” Speaker Ramesh Kumar said at a press briefing in Bengaluru.

“I am not deliberately withholding resignations so as to help a certain government which has allegedly run into a minority. I am delaying because I love this land. My obligation is to the people of this state and Constitution of this republic,” the Speaker added.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had directed the 10 rebel MLAs of the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka to meet Speaker Ramesh Kumar at 6 pm and resubmit their resignations.

According to the Speaker, the rebel MLAs came to meet him on July 6, noon just when he was leaving without seeking prior appointment. While he acknowledged the resignations on July 9, he said of the 13, eight did not follow the proper format. “The remaining five, I gave them time to meet me on July 12 and July 15,” he added.

He explained, “I need time since if the resignations are accepted, the MLAs' disqualification from the party will be nullified. They can seek votes to sit in the house.” However, if it was found that the resignations were coerced and they are rejected, they cannot enter the House till the term is complete.

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The rebel MLAs have reportedly gone back to the hotel in Mumbai.

The Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, had also asked the Speaker to decide on the resignation of the MLAs during the course of the day.

Later, Ramesh Kumar had appealed to the apex court, seeking more time to verify the genuineness of the resignations. However, the court had rejected that plea saying, "In the morning we had fixed the matter for hearing tomorrow".

Congress leader and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who had mentioned the matter before the top court, had told the Court that such a direction, asking the Speaker to decide on the resignation of ten rebels, can't be issued by the SC.

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