The letter read: We have absolutely no intention in meeting Mallikarjun Kharge or Ghulam Nabi Azad or any Congress dignitaries or functionaries from Maharashtra or Karnataka Congress team leaders or any other political leader. We anticipate serious threat from them and so we, hereby, request to kindly make necessary arrangements to stop these people from meeting us in case the situation arises.
Earlier on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to save its shaky coalition government in Karnataka, Congress' trouble-shooter and senior minister D.K. Shivakumar assured the rebel legislators of meeting their demands if they withdrew their resignations and attend the Assembly session underway.
"The party is ready to meet demands of the rebels if they withdraw resignations and attend the session from Monday," Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru even as state Housing Minister and rebel lawmaker M.T.B. Nagaraj flew to Mumbai to join the other rebels a day after assuring the party leaders of withdrawing his resignation.
Warning the rebels of action against them if they don't withdraw their resignations and attend the session, Shivakumar said they would be disqualified if they defy the party whip issued to all its members, including them, for their presence in the Assembly.
In all, 16 rebel legislators, including 13 from the Congress and three from its ally Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) resigned from their Assembly seats across the southern state for various reasons such as lack of development in their constituencies and loss of faith in the leadership.
Karnataka BJP asks Kumaraswamy to resign immediately
Asserting that the coalition government in Karnataka had lost majority, the state BJP Sunday demanded the Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy immediately resign or seek a trust vote on Monday itself. "I demand that the Chief Minister, if he is honest and cares for the democratic system, he should immediately resign or should move a motion seeking for trust vote on Monday itself," state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters, he said, sixteen MLAs of JD(S) and Congress have resigned, and also two independents have withdrawn support to the government, and extended it to the BJP. "You (Kumaraswamy) don't have majority. So let them (coalition) ask for confidence vote or reign immediately. Tomorrow in the Business Advisory Committee meeting I will advise same thing to Kumaraswamy and discuss," he added.
(with inputs from PTI)