Congress petitions Supreme Court for urgent hearing
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said the party has sought a hearing on its petition challenging the governor's decision.
New Delhi: Angry over Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala’s move to invite BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa to form the government there, the Congress approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday night seeking an immediate intervention by the Chief Justice of India against what it called as an “encounter of the Constitution”.
The Congress urged Chief Justice Dipak Misra to hold an urgent hearing on Wednesday night itself since Mr Yeddyurappa is due to take the oath as chief minister at 9 am on Thursday.
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said the party has sought a hearing on its petition challenging the governor’s decision. “We have filed a petition before the Supreme Court and have urged the registrar to allow a hearing on it tonight itself,” Mr Singhvi said, adding that an immediate hearing was sought as the matter was very serious.
Late in the night, it was learnt that the registrar had gone to the Chief Justice’s residence. Heavy security was seen deployed outside the CJI’s house.
Congress communications chief Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters: “The BJP and the governor of Karnat-aka have murdered democracy and used the
law for their personal gains. They will definitely be punished for this by the people of Karnataka. The truth shall triumph.”
The Congress also cited a Supreme Court judgment in the Goa case, where the BJP was not the single largest party but anyway formed the government. The Congress claims The Congress, in spite of being the single largest party, was not called to form the government, and there was a Supreme Court order affirming the decision of the Goa governor.
The Congress said the move to form a BJP government in Karnataka was “illegal and against the law and the Constitution”. “Calling an immoral and illegal government to be sworn in as an illegitimate child cannot sustain the scrutiny of the Constitution or the test of law,” Mr Surjewala said at a press conference. The party also said that granting 15 days’ time to Mr Yeddyurappato prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly will promote horse-trading.
Congress MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal said: “The governor of Karnataka is bound by the Constitution and the order of the Supreme Court. We have the majority numbers, but the governor isn’t calling us to form the government.”
The BJP hit back at the Congress, with senior leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying: “The party that blew up the Constitution to shambles is teaching us the Constitution, the party that imposed President’s Rule the most number of times is giving us lessons.”