Bengaluru:  Former State Advocate General (AG) B.V. Acharya has said that Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s order disqualifying 17 rebel MLAs from the Congress and JD(S), as illegal.

Speaking to press persons here yesterday, Acharya said that the Supreme Court in its July 17 order had asked the Speaker to only look into the resignations submitted by the MLAs and not on their disqualification. But the Speaker seems to have ignored the SC directive while disqualifying the rebel Legislators, he said.

Pointing out that the Speaker should have given one week time for the rebel MLAs to explain their stand on resignations, he said that the Speaker seems to have acted in haste while disqualifying the MLAs on a Sunday, even though the Speaker’s office is closed for                                                          general holiday.

Maintaining that the disqualified MLAs can move the Supreme Court against the Speaker’s decision and bring a stay to his (Speaker’s) order, Acharya observed that Speaker Ramesh Kumar appears to have acted in favour of the JD(S)-Congress Coalition.

He further opined that the Speaker’s order will help the BJP prove its majority in the Floor of the House as the effective strength of the Assembly has come down following the disqualification of 17 rebel MLAs from the Congress and JD(S).