Mumbai: Rebel MLAs seek police protection ahead of DK Shivakumar's visit

Ten rebel Congress MLAs, residing at a hotel here, have written to Mumbai Police seeking security cover ahead of Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar's visit to the city.

Amid the turmoil in Karnataka, Shivakumar is slated to fly to Mumbai on Wednesday in a bid to pacify the disgruntled MLAs.

In their letter to Mumbai Police, the legislators have claimed that they feel "threatened" by the thought that Shivakumar may "storm into" the hotel they are residing in.

"We the following elected members of legislative assembly of the state of Karnataka are staying at Hotel Renaissance Powai in Mumbai. We have heard that Shri Kumaraswamy and DK Shivakumar and others are going to storm in the hotel premises, we feel threatened for the same," read the letter written by the legislators.

"We do not want to meet him (Shivakumar), kind request to help us in this matter and do not allow them to enter the hotel premises," the MLAs added.

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

Speaking to ANI, Narayan Gowda said the legislators are not keen on meeting Kumaraswamy and Shivakumar, and have, therefore, asked for police protection.

"Somebody informed us that Chief Minister (Kumaraswamy) and DK Shivakumar will come to Mumbai tomorrow to talk to all the MLAs. We have all written the letter together, we do not want to meet them. We have asked for protection so they don't force us," he said.

The 13-month old Congress-JDS government slumped into crisis following the resignation of 11 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly last week.

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

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