Youth Cong workers protest at hotel hosting rebel K'taka MLAs

Mumbai/Bengaluru: Youth Congress workers Monday brought two horse-drawn carriages outside a suburban hotel where several Karnataka MLAs are camping and protested against the BJP’s “horse trading”, which it said, had led to the crisis in the alliance government in the southern state.

Ten Karnataka MLAs, belonging to the JD(S) and the Congress, had flown to Mumbai late Saturday night after submitting their resignations to the Assembly speaker there.

An eleventh MLA, an Independent, resigned as a minister and also from the assembly membership Monday and joined the group at the luxurious hotel in suburban Mumbai.

The chain of events put the 13-month-old H D Kumaraswamy government in a bind as it enjoys a thin majority in the 224-member Karnataka House.

Youth Congress workers, numbering more than 200, shouted slogans against the BJP and demanded that the MLAs take back their resignations.

As part of the protest, they brought two horse-drawn carriages outside the hotel and accused the BJP, the main opposition party in Karnataka, of indulging in “horse trading”.

However, the saffron outfit has denied any role in political turmoil in the neighbouring state.

Police put up barricades around the hotel and managed to hold back the protesters, also detaining many of them, an official said.

The protest was led by All-India Youth Congress vice- president BV Sriniwas and Mumbai YC chief Ganesh Yadav.

Speaking to reporters, Yadav said he wanted to meet the MLAs in the hotel but was prevented from doing so by police.

“We are here to meet Congress legislators as we feel they are being coerced and kept (in the hotel) against their will. But we are not being allowed (to meet them),” he said.

“However, Maharashtra BJP MLCs like Prasad Lad are stationed in the hotel and there is no restrictions on them. This whole thing seems suspicious,” said Yadav.

The entire episode shows blatant misuse of government machinery, the Youth Congress leader alleged.