Karnataka Cong MLA 'held up' after resignation; Escorted out

High drama was witnessed Wednesday at the Vidhana Soudha here, the Karnataka Secretariat, as a Congress MLA who resigned his assembly membership was allegedly manhandled and later "held up" in a room where embattled party leaders tried to convince him not to quit.

The more than an hour long tension-filled drama that also saw BJP leaders and legislators protesting demanding 'release' of Chikkaballapur MLA K Sudhakar ended with police escorting him to the Raj Bhavan after Governor Vajubhai Vala reportedly intervened.

Congress Legislature Party Leader Siddaramiah who met Sudhakar at the Vidhan Soudha denied the MLA was taken for discussion by force and slammed the BJP, accusing it of indulging in goondagiri.

After meeting the Governor, Sudhakar described the incident at the secretariat as "a small friction" but condemned the manner in which he was taken for talks, adding his wife and his other family members were 'shaken' by it.

Without naming anyone, he slammed the behaviour of "a person who has been a minister and an MLC."
Stating that Congress leaders were only trying to talk to him, he said what BJP has to do with Sudhakar, he is not BJP worker, he is our MLA... BJP people are rowdies, they behaved like goondas."