Karnataka crisis shifted to Mumbai today as senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar reached the Maximum City to meet the rebel lawmakers staying at a hotel in Powai. While Shivakumar has said that he is in Mumbai to meet his ‘friends’, News Nation has learnt that the rebels have written to Mumbai Police Commissioner to provide them security and stop Shivakumar from entering the hotel. In the letter signed by all the lawmakers, the leaders said that, “We following elected members of legislative assembly of the state of Karnataka are sating at Hotel renaissance Powai in Mumbai. We have heard that Shri Kumar Swamy and DK Shivakumar and others are going to storm in the hotel premises, we feel threatened for the same. We don’t not want to meet him., kind request to help us in the matter and do not allow them to enter the hotel premises.â€Â Â
Karnataka Crisis: Rebel MLAs write to Mumbai Police, say DK Shivakumar may 'storm' hotel pic.twitter.com/NixlU2h04r
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With no end in sight for the ongoing Karnataka political crisis, there have been several attacks and counter-attacks by warring camps. On Tuesday, the JDS had alleged that the BJP is spending staggering Rs 1,000 crore to ‘purchase’ MLAs. The Karnataka Congress has also alleged that its leaders are held at ‘gunpoint’. Karnataka Congress leader Zameer Ahmad alleged that the BJP has kidnapped his party MLAs and was keeping them at gunpoint. “The BJP has kidnapped our MLAs and is keeping them at gunpoint. Their mobile phones have been seized. They're not even allowed to talk to their family members. If set free, the MLAs will return to us. 4-5 people each are keeping a watch on them,†Ahmad said.
Earlier, in what can be called as breather for troubled Congress-JDS alliance, Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Monday said that “out of 13 resignations (by the MLAs), 8 are not in order.†He added that, “Five other rebels have proper resignations and I have given time to them to present themselves before me.†Out of 13, 8 are not according to the prescribed rules under rule 202 under Karnataka legislature procedure, Kumar said. He added that, “If they (MLAs) are intent on reiterating their stance, they should do according to proper rules.†Anand Singh, Ramalinga Reddy, Narayan Gowda, Pratap Goud Patil and Gopaliah have given resignation in proper format, Kumar said.