Miffed at the absence of senior lawyers Mukul Rohatgi and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any further directives on an appeal by two Independent MLAs asking for an instruction to the Karnataka Speaker to order the H.D. Kumaraswamy government to take a floor test forthwith.

The Kumaraswamy government took the floor test on Tuesday and was defeated.

The two legislators, R. Shankar and H. Nagesh, had on Monday made an oral plea for a directive to the Speaker. Again on Tuesday, the duo through Rohatgi had attempted to obtain a directive from the court.

But the bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, had declined the plea and adjourned the matter to Wednesday after Singhvi assured the court on behalf of the Speaker that the latter was “optimistic” the trust vote would be taken up on Tuesday.

When the matter came up for consideration on Wednesday before the bench, which also comprised Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, neither Rohatgi nor Singhvi was present.

“Where is Mr Rohatgi? Where is Mr Singhvi? We will pass orders only in their presence,” Justice Gogoi said.

Advocate Diksha Rai, who deputed for Rohatgi, said the senior lawyer was unable to come and suggested the matter be adjourned till Thursday.

Justice Gogoi noted that only senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who had earlier represented Kumaraswamy, was present. But Dhavan rose to explain that he was present in the court in connection with another case, causing mirth in the court hall.