Karnataka Crisis: Shivakumar Being Forcibly Sent Back To Bengaluru, Says Deora

Two more Congress MLAs quit in Karnataka even as Mumbai Police detained minister DK Shivakumar and Congress leader Milind Deora outside the Renaissance Hotel in Powai which housed 10 of the rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs.

BJP’s Yeddyurappa reiterated his call for HD Kumaraswamy to step down, saying he had no moral right to continue as CM when the coalition no longer had the numbers.

Here are the live updates:

8.15pm: 10 out of the 15 Congress MLAs in Goa resign: Reports

Even as uncertainty looms over the future of Karnataka government, 10 of 15 Congress MLAs in Goa have resigned from the party, according to Hindustan Times . Reports suggest that they met Speaker Rajesh Patnekar and are set to join the BJP. 

6.25pm: Shivakumar being forcibly sent back to Bengaluru, says Deora

The police is forcibly sending Shivakumar to Bengaluru from Mumbai, Milind Deora says, PTI quoted.

Meanwhile, Shivakumar says he’s confident the rebel MLAs will return.

5.17 pm: Mumbai police’s manhandling of MLAs unbecoming and annoying, says Kumaraswamy

4.58 pm: Two more Congress MLAs quit

Two more Congress legislators MTB Nagaraj and K Sudhakar have submitted their resignation to the Karnataka assembly Speaker, PTI reports.

According to Indian Express , this takes the number of resignations to 16. 

2.43 pm: Police detain Shivakumar, Deora

DK Shivakumar and Milind Deora have been detained by the Mumbai Police outside the Renaissance Hotel in Powai, TV reports showed.

2.31 pm: Yeddyurappa meets Governor, requests immediate action

“I requested the Governor to convey to the Speaker that he should take necessary action immediately. Kumaraswamy has no moral right to continue as Chief Minister, they don’t have the numbers,” Yeedyurappa told reporters after his meeting with the Governor.

2.21 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned after protests

2.02 pm: Deve Gowda, Ghulam Azad, Siddaramaiah and Venugopal at Congress protest in Bengaluru

1.59 pm: The MLAs have resigned voluntarily, says counsel Mukul Rohatgi

1.42 pm: Milind Deora, Sanjay Nirupam arrive outside the hotel

Congress leaders Milind Deora and Sanjay Nirupam have arrived outside the Renaissance Hotel in Powai. Deora spoke to Shivakumar and wished that the MLAs would go back to Karnataka to resolve the issue constitutionally, Hindustan Times reported.

1.31 pm: Yeddyurappa to meet Speaker at 3 pm 

Yeddyurappa, who is sitting dharna outside the Vidhan Soudha with other BJP MLAs, said, “We will meet the Karnataka Assembly 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 ‘apradh’ that is unforgivable”

1.24 pm: JD(S) MLAs in Karnataka club are practising yoga

1.01 pm: Karnataka crisis rocks Rajya Sabha

Congress members disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha for the second day over the Karnataka crisis and accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the party’s coalition government there. The House saw two adjournments in the pre-lunch period that saw the washing out of the Zero Hour and the Question Hour.

12.41 pm: BJP minister reads out rebel MLAs’ letter in Lok Sabha

Minister Prahlad Joshi read out a complaint letter written by the rebel MLAs to the Mumbai police yesterday, asking for protection from Shivakumar.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan  Chowdhury claimed there was martial law in Maharashtra after Shivakumar was stopped from entering the Renaissance Hotel.

12.31 pm: Section 144 imposed near Mumbai hotel

“We have invoked Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) Section 144 near the hotel,” a senior police official told PTI.

Section 144 of the CrPC prohibits an assembly of more than four persons in an area.

11.05 am: Not interested in meeting him Shivakumar, no one from BJP is here, says another rebel Congress leader

10.55 am: Request him to understand why we cannot meet him today, says rebel Congress leader B Basavaraj

10.45 am: Rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs move Supreme Court

The rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs have moved the Supreme Court against the Speaker’s rejection of their resignation. The top court will hear the matter tomorrow, reports said .

10.40 am: How can I be a threat to the MLAs? We are friends, says Shivakumar

Shivakumar said he will not leave without meeting the MLAs, PTI reports.

“I only have a heart that I have come to extend to my friends...politics is an art of possibility,” he said.

There was a massive police presence outside the hotel where a group was seen shouting “Shivakumar go back”.

“I am not afraid of slogans against me. Not being permitted inside because of security threat. I have a lot of respect for the Maharashtra government. I don’t have weapons,” he said.
“How can I be a threat to the MLAs. We are friends. If the BJP is not involved, why so many policemen are here. I have a heart, and no weapons,” he said.

10.27 am: Hotel cancels Shivakumar’s booking

TV reports say the hotel has cancelled the Congress leader’s reservation at their establishment.

10.21 am: Shivakumar still outside Mumbai hotel 

8.57am: BJP to sit dharna in Bengaluru, says Yeddyurappa

In Bengaluru, BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa in Bengaluru said, “We have decided to sit on dharna in front of Vidhana Soudha. We will meet the Speaker and the Governor.”

8.51am: Shivakumar escorted away from Mumbai hotel 

8:43 am: No question of threatening, says Shivakumar outside MLAs’ hotel

“I’ve booked a room here. My friends are staying here. There has been a small problem, we’ve to hold negotiations. We can’t go for a divorce immediately. There is no question of threatening, we love and respect each other,” he told reporters as he arrived at the hotel.

Background

The letter signed by 10 MLAs said they have heard that Kumaraswamy , Shivkumar and others are going to storm the hotel premises they are staying in and they feel threatened by this.

The letter stated that the MLAs were not willing to meet the two leaders and wanted the police not to allow them to enter the hotel premises.

The signatories of the letter are Shivram Hebbar, Pratap Gowda Patil, B C Patil, Byrati Basavraj, S T Somshekar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Gopalaiyya, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda and Mahesh Kumutali.

The copies of the letter were marked to Zone 10 deputy commissioner of police, senior inspector of Powai police station and the management of the hotel they are staying in, PTI’s report said.