Congress accuses BJP of kidnapping MLA, Speaker demands Home Ministry probe

Congress members held up pictures of their MLA at the airport and then in the hospital, claiming he was kidnapped.
Congress accuses BJP of kidnapping MLA, Speaker demands Home Ministry probe
Congress accuses BJP of kidnapping MLA, Speaker demands Home Ministry probe
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Drama unfolded in the Karnataka Assembly with Water Resource Minister DK Shivakumar and other Congress accusing the BJP of kidnapping Congress MLAs from Kagwad Srimanth Patil. Holding up a blown up photograph of the Congress legislator lying topless with his heart being monitored in an ambulance, DK Shivakumar accused the BJP of orchestrating a scenario, alleging that Srimanth Patil was made to pose for a picture where he looked ill. 

“Look at this picture, that’s Srimanth Patil with Lakshman Savadi (BJP MLA). Srimanth Patil was fine and healthy in the resort last night. Suddenly this morning, I was informed that he was missing. The next thing we know, we revived a letter from Mumbai where it states that he is suffering from a heart ailment. The BJP has kidnapped our MLA. You must come to our rescue. You must offer protection to our MLAs,” DK Shivakumar appealed to the Speaker.

Echoing DK Shivakumar’s accusation, Karnataka Pradesh Committee President Dinesh Gundu Rao accused the BJP of orchestrating a nefarious plot to steal Congress MLAs. “Look at the flight tickets.  Srimanth Patil was taken to Chennai and then flown to Mumbai earlier this morning. Why could he not undergo treatment at the numerous hospitals in Bengaluru? Why did he have to fly to Mumbai to undergo treatment? Why is the Maharashtra government providing him protection at the hospital in Mumbai. In fact why does he need police protect if he is undergoing treatment, clearly the BJP is doing this,” Dinesh Gundu Rao alleged.

Meanwhile, DK Shivakumar distributed the blown up images of Srimanth Patil in the ambulance, his picture with Lakshman Savadi and the flight ticket to Congress MLAs. Soon after all Congress MLAs began hurling questions at the BJP, while holding up the blown up pictures and shouting 'Down, Down BJP.'

“Who is Lakshman Savadi? Is he not a BJP leader? In whose chartered flight did the MLAs go to Mumbai,” said the legislators while they demanded answers from the opposition. 

Ruckus erupted and the BJP legislators strongly denied any involvement in the ongoing rebellion. 

An agitated Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar read out a handwritten letter allegedly written and signed by Srimanth Patil which claimed that he was unable to attend the session due to ill health.  “CLP leader Siddaramaiah has submitted a complaint to me that Srimanth Patil was kidnapped. This is a criminal complaint. I have also received a letter from Srimanth Patil stating that he is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mumbai. He has attached a medical certificate and an ECG report. There is no letter head and no seal. The Medical Board has not signed of on any of these medical documents. How can I accept this? In this political game, you (legislators) do not care for the people. It has become a game of one-upmanship,” the Speaker lamented.

Speaker Ramesh Kumar directed Home Minister MB Patil to launch a probe into the matter. He directed the Home Department to question his family members regarding why he went to Mumbai. While staying that the papers in front of him were not fair, the Speaker said that if such inability continued, he would asked the DGP to provide protection to the legislators. 

“Look at the media, they are here to error the facts. What will people think of this House? I am disturbed. Medical Board has not certified the report. How can I accept something without credentials. The Home Minister must look into this matter and report back to me as soon as possible,” said the Speaker. 

The assembly was adjourned on Thursday, without a trust vote taking place.

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