Karnataka: Rahul Gandhi welcomes Supreme Court's order, says BJP bluffing about numbers for government formation

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday welcomed Supreme Court's order calling it a  vindication of the party's stand. Minutes after the Supreme Court ordered the BJP's Yeddyurappa to prove majority in floor test in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly at 4 pm on Saturday, the Gandhi tweeted:

Today’s Supreme Court order, vindicates our stand that Governor Vala acted unconstitutionally.

The BJP’s bluff that it will form the Govt., even without the numbers, has been called out by the court.

Stopped legally, they will now try money & muscle, to steal the mandate.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 18, 2018

“Today’s Supreme Court order, vindicates our stand that Governor Vala acted unconstitutionally. The BJP’s bluff that it will form the Govt., even without the numbers, has been called out by the court. Stopped legally, they will now try money & muscle, to steal the mandate,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

A bench of three Justices - AK Sikri, SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan - resumed hearing on Congress-Janata Dal Secular (JDS) petition on Friday morning, challenging Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to invite the BJP to form government in the state.

In a fast-paced development, the top court directed Yeddyurappa to prove majority under the supervision of a Protem Speaker. The bench also ordered the appointment of a Protem Speaker by 4 pm this evening. Catch the live updates here.