Centre requested to guarantee protection of Indians abroad

"The government has taken cognisance of the deaths of Savita Halappanavar and Jacintha Saldanha and urged the Centre to ensure protection to Indian citizens residing or working abroad," he told reporters after meeting the family of Ben Barboza, Jacintha's husband, at Shirva here.

Gowda said Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and conveyed the state's concern on it.

Jacintha Saldanha, a Indian origin nurse, was found dead following a hoax call to a London hospital treating Prince William's pregnant wife Kate Middleton.

She was found hanging in her nurses' quarters at King Edward VII's hospital by a colleague and a security guard on December 7.

Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar died at a hospital in Ireland on Oct 28 due to pregnancy related complications after being denied abortion. Doctors refused to terminate her 17-week pregnancy, stating "this is a Catholic country".

Meanwhile, Gowda said BJP high command would serve show cause notice to the 13 MLAs who defied the party diktat and attended the formal launch of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Party at Haveri on December 9.

"Party MLAs who attended the launch of KJP in Haveri are under pressure, but the central leadership will issue show cause notices to them," he said.

Lashing out at Congress and JDS, he said they had resorted to creating confusion during the assembly's winter session in Belgaum as they could not move a no-confidence motion against the government.

To a question, he said he was not enthused over contesting from Puttur Assembly constituency. However, he would abide by the direction of the central leadership.