NDTV
October 12, 2010, Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court has adjourned till October 18 the hearing on a batch of petitions filed by 16 MLAs challenging their disqualification but gave them no relief by way of stay on the Speaker's action.
While the Bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice N Kumar reserved orders on the petition filed by 11 BJP MLAs in which arguments concluded, it granted time to 5 independents to amend their application in the wake of issues raised the government government.
... In the case of 5 Independents, their counsel K G Raghavan submitted that BJP cannot seek their disqualification as they were not elected on that party's symbol but as Independents.
However, the counsel for the Government Satyapal Jain pointed out that these Independents have attended BJP Legislature Party meetings ever since they became ministers and even signed registers of the party meetings.
Jain also pointed out that the Independents, in their petition, held that they never joined BJP and also they never left party.
"The question of quitting does not arise, unless, they were part of the party," Jain contended at which the counsel for Independents Raghavan sought time to amend the petition.
