SC orders live telecast of K'taka floor test proceedings

The Supreme Court today ordered live telecast of proceedings of the floor test in which Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has to prove his majority in the Karnataka Assembly.

A bench comprising justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan passed the order after recording the statement of Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that there will be live telecast of the proceedings.

Mehta was appearing for the BJP-led Karnataka government and Governor Vajubhai Vala.

"Though a number of prayers have been made in the application of Congress-JD(S) combine, challenging the appointment BJP MLA K G Bopaiah as pro tem speaker, it was not necessary to go into all the prayers in view of the statement made by Mehta that there will be live telecast of the proceedings," the order said.

"We may place on record that statement of Tushar Mehta is that there would be live telecast of the proceedings of the legislative assembly in respect of the floor test.

"It is also stated that secretary of legislative assembly will record it," the order said.

The bench noted that Mehta has also informed it that several local channels will be provided with the live feed of the proceedings so as to telecast the same simultaneously.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Congress-JD(S) combine, have not pressed their prayers made in the application in view of the statement made by Mehta, the bench said.

The bench, in its order, said "We also clarify that there shall be no other item in the agenda that shall be taken up during the trust vote.