Deve Gowda questions CJ's order on rebel MLAs

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has expressed doubts about the order passed by Karnataka High Court Chief Justice J S Khehar in the case about the 11 rebel Bharatiya Janata Party Members of Legislative Assembly.

Addressing media persons in Bengaluru, he questioned the order of the chief justice upholding the order by the speaker of the Karnataka legislative assembly, who had disqualified the rebel BJP MLAs.

His allegation comes in the wake of the chief justice sharing the dais with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa at the Dusshera celebrations in Mysore last week.

Gowda accused both the Congress and the BJP in Karnataka of trying to "finish off regional parties". He claimed that attempts were being made to wipe out regional parties from Karnataka and this should stop immediately.

The Congress in Karnataka has launched a second round of protests against the ruling BJP. The Congress leaders have been protesting the 'horse trading' of their MLAs by the BJP.