<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday told the 10 rebel MLAs from Congress and JD(S) to appear before the Speaker by 6 pm to enable him to decide on their resignations "during the course of the day".</p>.<p>After a brief hearing, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose asked the Speaker to take his decision on Thursday itself.</p>.<p>This comes as an immediate relief to the MLAs, holed up in a Mumbai hotel after sending their resignations to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, who was alleged to have deliberately delayed his decision.</p>.<p>The court put the writ petition filed by MLA Pratap Gouda Patil and others for further hearing on Friday.</p>.<p>Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi submitted that the facts are "startling" in the case. The Speaker had refused to meet the MLAs, who have resigned from their respective Assembly Constituencies.</p>.<p>He said the first resignation was made on July 1. One MLA, who went to the Speaker, was manhandled yesterday, Rohatgi said.</p>.<p>He submitted that the Speaker has just to see that the resignation was voluntary.</p>.<p>The counsel suggested that the MLAs would appear before the Speaker who should take a decision on their resignations.</p>.<p>"Now the disqualification petition has been moved against us. The idea is to issue a whip, if it is violated, issue the notice and take action under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law)," he said.</p>.<p>Rohatgi also sought a direction to grant protection to the MLAs.</p>.<p>The court, after accepting his suggestion, also directed the Karnataka DGP to ensure protection to the rebel MLAs.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday told the 10 rebel MLAs from Congress and JD(S) to appear before the Speaker by 6 pm to enable him to decide on their resignations "during the course of the day".</p>.<p>After a brief hearing, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose asked the Speaker to take his decision on Thursday itself.</p>.<p>This comes as an immediate relief to the MLAs, holed up in a Mumbai hotel after sending their resignations to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, who was alleged to have deliberately delayed his decision.</p>.<p>The court put the writ petition filed by MLA Pratap Gouda Patil and others for further hearing on Friday.</p>.<p>Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi submitted that the facts are "startling" in the case. The Speaker had refused to meet the MLAs, who have resigned from their respective Assembly Constituencies.</p>.<p>He said the first resignation was made on July 1. One MLA, who went to the Speaker, was manhandled yesterday, Rohatgi said.</p>.<p>He submitted that the Speaker has just to see that the resignation was voluntary.</p>.<p>The counsel suggested that the MLAs would appear before the Speaker who should take a decision on their resignations.</p>.<p>"Now the disqualification petition has been moved against us. The idea is to issue a whip, if it is violated, issue the notice and take action under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law)," he said.</p>.<p>Rohatgi also sought a direction to grant protection to the MLAs.</p>.<p>The court, after accepting his suggestion, also directed the Karnataka DGP to ensure protection to the rebel MLAs.</p>
