Karnataka political crisis: Rebel MLAs demand Mumbai Police protection ahead of visits by DK Shivakumar, HD Kumaraswamy

As the Karnataka political crisis continued to unravel on Tuesday, ten of the rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs staying in a Mumbai hotel wrote to Mumbai Police ahead of the scheduled visits by Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and state minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday. They have written to the Mumbai police commissioner expressing fears of a threat to their lives during the visits. Mumbai Police issued a statement saying that Shivakumar “will not be allowed” inside the hotel premises, even as the minister expressed confidence about being able to meet the dissenting MLAs. Shivakumar, who reached the city on Wednesday morning, said, “Let Mumbai Police or any other force be deployed. Let them do their duty. We’ve come to meet our friends. We were born together in politics, we will die together in politics. They are our party men. We have come to meet them.” He added, “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.” Shivakumar was later escorted away from the hotel, ANI reported.

#Mumbai: Security deployed outside Renaissance - Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, where 10 rebel Karnataka Congress-JD(S) MLAs are staying. Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar is currently on his way from the airport to the hotel. pic.twitter.com/1jidVLdmcb

— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2019

Shivakumar arrived in Mumbai accompanied by JD(S) MLA Shivalinge Gowda. The Maharashtra state reserve police force and the Riot Control Police have been deployed outside the hotel. The letter, which was 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, BC Patil, Byrati Basavraj, ST Somshekar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Gopalaiyya, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda and Mahesh Kumutali. The copies of the letter have been marked to Zone 10 deputy commissioner of police, senior inspector of Powai police station and the management of the hotel they are staying in.