K’nataka: Rebel MLAs fear 'threat' to life before CM's visit; speaker declares 8 resignations invalid

It was announced that Karnataka Congress leader and minister D K Shivakumar would reach Mumbai today to meet his party's dissident MLAs here.

Rebel alliance MLAs who have resigned / Image: PTI

New Delhi: Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar held valid the resignation of only five of the thirteen MLAs of the ruling coalition who had quit last week. He said that eight out resignations were not in the prescribed format and has asked the legislators to submit them properly. After this, the rebel MLAs lodged in Mumbai hotel, have said that they will file fresh resignations again. Karnataka Congress leader and minister D K Shivakumar to reach Mumbai today: The dozen MLAs from Karnataka, who flew to Mumbai after quitting the southern state's Assembly are still camping there, Karnataka Congress MLA B C Patil said.  Patil told reporters that he the other MLAs were still in Mumbai, even as it was announced that Karnataka Congress leader and minister D K Shivakumar would reach Mumbai Wednesday to meet his party's dissident MLAs here. Rebel MLAs fear 'threat' to life during Karnataka CM's proposed visit to Mumbai hotel The rebel MLAs from the Congress-JD(S) combine have written to the Mumbai police commissioner expressing fears of threat to their lives during visits of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Congress leader D K Shivakumar here on Wednesday. The letter signed by 10 MLAs said they have heard that Kumaraswamy , Shivkumar and others are going to storm the hotel premises they are staying in and they feel threatened by this. The letter stated that the MLAs were not willing to meet the two leaders and wanted the police not to allow them to enter the hotel premises. Pivotal role of Speaker: The fate of the Kumaraswamy government depends on the Speaker's decision on the resignation of the 14 MLAs including Shivajinagar MLA R Roshan Baig who resigned on Tuesday. "Baig's letter was submitted today and so I have not scrutinised it," Kumar said. "Among these 13 resignation letters (submitted earlier), five are in the prescribed format as per the regulations. "These five are of Anand Singh, Narayana Gowda, Pratap Gouda Patil, Gopalaiah and Ramalinga Reddy," Kumar told reporters at his chamber. "Since the other resignation letters were not in the prescribed format, we have sent them a reminder letter that they were not in the prescribed format and hence, if you wish you can submit your resignations properly," he added. The 14 MLAs who submitted their resignations are S T Somashekhar, Munirathna, B A Basavaraj, Pratap Gouda Patil, B C Patil, Ramesh Jarkiholi, A Shivaram Hebbar, Mahesh Kumathalli, Ramalinga Reddy, Anand Singh and R Roshan Baig (all congress), and Gopalaiah, Narayana Gowda, Adagur H Vishwanath (all JDS), the speaker said. Speaker said he has asked Anand Singh, Pratap Gouda Patil, Narayana Gowda to appear before him for personal hearing on July 12 at 3 pm and 4 pm, though the assembly session will begin on that day. Since July 13 and 14 are holidays, Kumar said he would hear K Gopalaiah and Ramalinga Reddy on July 15. "I have given them two days time and asked them to present their argument on July 11. Then I will have to fix a date to hold a hearing and serve notices to the persons concerned," Kumar said. Asked whether the resignations submitted to his office were acceptable, Kumar earlier hinted the MLAs might have to personally hand them over, saying "if everything can happen through postal correspondence, I am not required at all". The Speaker said he will go through the rule book and consult seniors about the developments, whether the resignations can be accepted or a different course of action was needed. "I have to make a conscious decision. Every step I take will become history, so I can't be committing a mistake. Future generations should not look at me like an accused," Kumar added. Questioned on whether the Congress legal cell had written to him that the resignations should not be accepted, Kumar said he has not seen the letter yet. "I left office on Saturday. I came only today. Whichever cell has written, I have to go through it now," he told journalists at the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat.