Mumbai: Karnataka Minister D. K Shivakumar who was detained by the Mumbai Police earlier in the day, said he was being forcibly deported to Bengaluru.
The Congress leader, however, exuded confidence and said all disgruntled legislators will return to the Congress-JD(S) fold. Shivakumar today along with other party leaders was detained by the Mumbai police and was not was allowed to meet the rebel MLAs staying put at a Hotel here.
“I am still confident that all MLAs will come back and we all will be one once again. I wanted to stay and meet MLAs but Police is pushing me to the airport for deporting me to Bengaluru,” said DK Shivakumar.
“The Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka will be safe as none of them is leaving the party,” said Shivakumar.
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He alleged that he is not allowed to meet the MLAs at the behest of BJP, whose leaders he alleged are sitting inside the hotel to prevent him from entering.
The 10 dissident MLAs of Congress and JDS are currently staying at the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.
Shivakumar who reached the hotel this morning to pacify the rebel MLAs had resorted to sitting outside the Hotel after being denied entry. However, Mumbai Police detained Shivakumar, Milind Deora and other Congressmen and kept them at Kalinga University rest house.
However, they were released in the evening while the “police took D.K Shivakumar to the airport for forcibly sending him back to Bengaluru,” informed Office of Congress leader Milind Deora.
The Congress has been accusing the BJP of conspiring to topple Congress-JD(S)coalition government in Karnataka. The ruling alliance is making all efforts to protect its government which seems to have fallen short of a majority.
The rebel MLAs had checked into Mumbai’s Sofitel Hotel on Saturday and later moved to the Renaissance Hotel in the city on Monday.
The 13-month old Congress-JD(S) government slumped into crisis following the resignation of 10 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly last week. Congress’ Roshan Baig and independent H Nagesh have also deserted the H. D Kumaraswamy government.
The state Assembly has 225 members, including one nominated MLA. The halfway mark in the 225-member Assembly is 113.
Also read: Speaker Ramesh Kumar holds the cards in Karnataka political crisis, for now
The incident proves a few points as follows:
1. D.K.Shivakuram was not allowed to meet the MLAs in the hotel because BJP is not sure. They are scared that the MLAs may switch back. MLAs have been kept in the hotel only with an enticement of money and power. ‘The realignment of forces’ after 2019 election is bogus claim put forth by BJP for its own benefit.
2. BJP govt in Maharashtra is misusing the power by subduing the police force to its partisan purposes. This is worst type of emergency, undeclared. With this incident, BJP has lost its right and morality to criticise Indira Gandhi for her emergency in 1975. Packing off unceremoniously a minister of a neighbouring state is not a silly matter.
3. BJP may achieve its goal of congress mukht bharat and one nation one party. But this is a saddest day in the history of Indian democracy whatever the outcome of the actions taken by the Bombay police today.