Congress seeks rebel MLAs disqualification, submits petition to Karnataka Speaker

Bengaluru: Congress has submitted a petition to the Karnataka Speaker on Tuesday demanding action against the rebel party MLAs who failed to abide with party instructions.

“Karnataka Congress is seeking disqualification of members for their anti-party activity. They colluded with BJP. I request them to come back and withdraw their resignation. We've decided to file petition before speaker to disqualify them and request him to not accept resignation,” said senior party leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister.

“We are also requesting the Speaker to take legal action under the anti-defection law. We are requesting him in our letter to not only disqualify them but also bar them from contesting election for six years,” he said, as reported by ANI.

Roshan Baig, the suspended Congress leader, tendered his resignation the Speaker on Tuesday. "I have voluntarily given resignation to Speaker. Congress is questioning me repeatedly. I have already explained myself to them and can’t do it again. They are furious because I have spoken the truth. They have suspended me. Hence now I’m going to submit my resignation to speakers office," said the disgruntled Congress leader.

"I am hurt by the way my party has treated me, the way they have suspended me," said Roshan Baig. "I was suspended just because I said the bitter truth. The way they have treated me I am hurt." 

Briefing the media on Tuesday morning over the resignations of rebel MLAs, Siddaramaiah had said, "According to us it's anti-party activities. As they have colluded with BJP. Even now I request them to come back and withdraw their resignations."

Uncertainty loomed large over the coalition government in the state, with 15 legisalators of the ruling Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government resigning. The legislators are currently untraceable, reportedly staying near Satara, on the outskirts of Pune. The MLAs have requested Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to accept the resignations and are likely to return to Bengaluru on Tuesday evening.

Major opposition parties, including the Congress and DMK, on Tuesday stormed out of the Lok Sabha over the political crisis in Karnataka where several Congress and JD-S MLAs have quit, putting the coalition government in a crisis. The House was plunged into uproar when a Congress request to raise the issue during Zero Hour was not allowed by Speaker Om Birla.