The on-going Karnataka government crisis escalated further today (Wednesday, July 10) with Congress leaders DK Shivakumar, Milind Deora and others were detained and taken away in a police van from outside theRenaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel when they went to meet the 10 dissident JD(S)-Congress legislators who have been staying at the premises since Saturday.<\/p>\n
The rebels had earlier approached Mumbai Police, saying they felt \u201cthreatened\u201d by their state leaders and do not want to meet them in this regard.<\/p>\n
They have moved the Supreme Court and it is likely to take up the plea filed against Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar for not accepting their resignations.<\/p>\n
Kumar had rejected the resignations of nine of 14 coalition MLAs on the ground that they were not tendered in the correct format. The Speaker has fixed dates over the next six days to meet and interview the five MLAs whose resignations were found to be in order.<\/p>\n
The Speaker\u2019s decision gives the Congress-JD(S) combine breathing room to pull the government back from the brink of collapse \u2014 if the resignations were accepted, the alliance would have been reduced to a minority of 103, less than BJP\u2019s 105, in the 224-member House, after two Independent MLAs, too, withdrew support and tendered resignations Monday.<\/p>\n
Earlier today, Congress troubleshooter Shivakumar morning was stopped at the gates of the Mumbai resort where the 10 rebel MLAs are staying. Shivakumar was accompanied by JD(S) MLA Shivalinge Gowda.<\/p>\n
Shivakumar insisted that he has \u201cbooked\u201d a room in the hotel. He said he will not leave without meeting the MLAs. Amid the chants of \u201cShivakumar go back,\u201d the Congress leader said, \u201cI only have a heart that I have come to extend to my friends\u2026politics is an art of possibility,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve booked a room here. My friends are staying here. There has been a small problem, we\u2019ve to hold negotiations. We can\u2019t go for a divorce immediately. There is no question of threatening, we love and respect each other,\u201d he told reporters outside the hotel.<\/p>\n
Last night, the 10 rebel MLAs had approached the police seeking security as they feared that Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and DK Shivakumar will \u201cstorm\u201d into the premises and threaten them when they reach Mumbai.<\/p>\n
Tight security cover \u2014 State Reserve Police and Riot Control Units \u2014 has been deployed around the hotel after the letter.<\/p>\n
While Congress and JD(S) leaders try to rescue the coalition government from the deep crisis, former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa said it was still not late for the Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to quit \u2013 in view of the Assembly session that starts day after tomorrow, on July 12.<\/p>\n
Yeddyurappa said Kumaraswamy should go since his government \u201cdoesn\u2019t have the numbers\u201d and \u201cmake way for a BJP government\u201d in the state.<\/p>\n
Yeddyurappa, who according to a Hindustan Times report was on his way to meet the Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala with the demand to sack Kumaraswamy government, added that \u201cthe coalition government had lost the moral right to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier, the 76-year-old BJP state president in Karnataka had suggested that \u201cit was not late\u201d for Kumaraswamy to quit in the view of the looming Assembly session from July 12.\u201cOn 12th July, Assembly session will begin but they don\u2019t have the numbers, it will be an illegal session. It is not too late; you (Karnataka CM, HD Kumaraswamy) should resign and make way for a BJP government, he said.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yeddyurappa said that he will also meet the Karnataka Assembly Speaker at 3 pm today to register protest over alleged tearing of resignation letters of some rebel MLAs by Congress leader & MLA DK Shivakumar on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will meet the Speaker at 3 pm today. Speaker has still not condemned tearing up of resignations (of rebel MLAs) by DK Shivakumar. Tearing up of resignations is an \u2018apradh\u2019 (offence) that is unforgivable,\u201d said Yeddyurappa.<\/p>\n