Maharashtra government misusing state machinery to bulldoze democracy: Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary

Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary on Wednesday alleged that Maharashtra government was misusing the state machinery by not allowing Karnataka Irrigation Minister D K Shivakumar to meet rebel legislators in a hotel in Mumbai.

"Irrigation Minister of Karnataka D K Shivakumar had gone to Mumbai to meet the rebel Congress-JD(S) legislators in Mumbai. He was not allowed to even enter the hotel where they were staying. It looks like there is martial law in Maharashtra, a minister who has a booking in the hotel (in Mumbai) is not allowed to enter inside(to meet rebel MLAs)," Chaudhary told reporters here.

"The rebel MLAs did not complain to the police about Shivakumar. This is a fabricated story being circulated by the BJP. Is Shivakumar a goon or a don that he was not allowed to meet the legislators? The BJP is playing dirty tricks to topple an elected Congress-JDS government in Karnataka," he added.

Shivakumar and JD(S) MLA Shivalinge Gowda arrived in Mumbai this morning in a special flight from Bengaluru to meet rebel MLAs staying at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.

Security was heightened outside the hotel in Powai area of Mumbai after the dissidents wrote to Mumbai Police seeking protection.

Among the MLAs who have reportedly signed the letter are Shivram Hebbar, Pratap Gowda Patil, B C Patil, ST Somshekar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Byrati Basavraj, Gopalaiyya, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda, and Mahesh Kumutali.

The 13-month old Congress-JDS government slumped into crisis following the resignation of 10 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly last week. Independent MLA H Nagesh also withdrew support from the government on Monday.

Latest to join the bandwagon was Congress leader Roshan Baig, who resigned from his membership of state Assembly on Tuesday.