Karnataka row: SC apprehends more emergency hearings

New Delhi/Bengaluru: The Supreme Court, which had to conduct emergency hearings on the bitter power tussle in Karnataka, today apprehended that it might be forced to do it again if this legal fight is not put to rest.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Congress-JD(S) combine, at the outset expressed his regret to a three-judge bench headed by Justice A K Sikri for being forced to sit on the first day of summer vacation to hear its plea against Pro Tem Speaker K G Bopaiah.

“First of all, I must apologise to the bench for this inconvenience of assembling on a Saturday,” Sibal said. 

When the bench, also comprising justices S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, was about to rise after ordering live telecast of crucial Karnataka floor test, another senior advocate A M Singhvi, representing the alliance, said, “We hope that we will not disturb the bench on Sunday.” 

“That is what we were also talking about,” the bench said.

During the hearing, Attorney General K K Venugopal made a request to the bench to use microphones as the scribes standing behind in the courtroom were unable to hear the observations.

The bench promptly obliged the attorney general and all the three judges switched on their microphones.

Later, when the bench was about to dictate the order, Sibal again requested Justice Sikri, heading the bench, to switch on the mike and said, “As politicians we know how to make ourselves heard…

“But we are not politicians. We don’t care,” the bench responded.

In a historic pre-dawn hearing which started at 2:11 am and concluded at 5.28 am, the apex court on May 17 had refused to stay Governor Vajubhai Vala’s decision to administer oath of office to B S Yeddyurappa as chief minister.

Last night, the alliance again moved a fresh plea for emergency hearing to challenge the appointment of Bopaiah as the pro tem speaker which got listed today on a holiday.