High Drama at Resort: Cops ‘rough up’ MP ministers in Karnataka

Bengaluru | Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh higher education minister Jitu Patwari, animal husbandry minister Lakhan Singh Yadav and a group of Congress leaders from MP were allegedly roughed up by the Bengaluru rural district police outside a resort on Thursday after they resisted the police’s bid to stop them from contacting ‘rebel’ MLAs holed up at the resort.

Patwari, who is also the working president of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, was on a mission to persuade MLAs to return with them to MP. However, police intervened, accusing the group of ‘forcibly’ trying to take the MLAs away. The situation turned ugly when the group was stopped from entering the resort, leading to a scuffle. After the Congress leaders had an argument with the police, they were bundled into a van and taken to the police station. Video clippings of the police purportedly pushing the Congress leaders into the van went viral soon.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Party condemned the police action for the “goonda conduct of the BJP regime”. Around 20 Congress MLAs reportedly close to Scindia are staying at the resort under tight police protection. They had landed in Bengaluru three days ago in a special aircraft.


Patwari later called on newly-appointed Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar. The ‘rebel’ Congress MLAs had purportedly written to Karnataka DGP seeking police protection and escort. Congress insiders said Patwari was in Bengaluru to persuade the MLAs who had sent their resignations to return to the party fold. Addressing a news conference in Bhopal on Thursday, Congress MP Vivek Tankha said Patwari and Singh had gone to Bengaluru along with the father of Congress MLA Manoj Choudhary, who he alleged was held ‘captive’ by BJP in the resort. Tankha alleged policemen assaulted both Congress ministers. Not only were they assaulted but both ministers were arrested by the Bengaluru Police, Tankha alleged at a news conference where Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh was also present.