Amidst heightened crisis in the Karnataka coalition government, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked 10 rebel Congress and JDS MLAs to “meet the state Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar at 6 pm today and submit their resignations if they wish to do so”.
The apex court also ordered the DGP of Karnataka to provide protection to all the rebel MLAs.
The Supreme Court further asked the Speaker to take a decision on the matter in the remaining part the day itself.
The hearing was adjourned for tomorrow.
Earlier on Wednesday, the rebel lawmakers moved the Supreme Court accusing the Speaker of abandoning his constitutional duty and deliberately delaying acceptance of their resignations.
This came a day after Speaker Ramesh Kumar dismissed resignations of eight of the 13 lawmakers as “faulty”.
Huge drama unfolded as Shivakumar was stopped outside the gates of Renaissance – Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel after the rebel lawmakers refused to meet him.
The rebel MLAs had reportedly written to the police stating that they felt “threatened with the minister’s arrival”.
However, Shivakumar, who is still in Mumbai, on Thursday exuded confidence that the MLAs will withdraw their resignations.
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