BENGALURU: Rebel Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh who are staying at a resort here, on Wednesday said they have come to the city voluntarily and don't want to meet anybody, even as senior party leader Digvijaya Singh is making efforts to reach out to them.
High drama unfolded this morning near the resort, as Singh, a two-time Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, staged a protest accusing the police of not allowing him to meet the legislators, following which he was detained briefly and released later.
Singh, along with Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar, is meeting police top brass seeking opportunity to meet the MLAs.
He hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, accusing them of trying to block their efforts to get in touch with the legislators.
"We have come here voluntarily on our own wish; we have got to know from some people that a few leaders from Madhya Pradesh including Digvijaya Singh and some MLAs have come here. We don't want to talk to anybody," Congress rebel MLA from Sumawali Adal Singh Kansana said in a video message.
"We have tried enough to speak with everyone for the last one year, when they did not hear us for one year, what they will hear us in one day? We want to say only this that we have come here as per our wish and go back as per our wish," he added.
Another rebel MLA Govind Singh Rajput too said they have come voluntarily and don't want to meet anybody.
"We got to know that Digvijaya Singh has come with a few Ministers and leaders. Unnecessarily at the gate they are saying they want to meet us. When no MLA wants to meet him, they should not be doing this. All MLAs have sent in their resignation," he said in a video message.
Currently, 22 rebel MLAs are said to be camping in the city.
Digvijaya Singh said he wants to meet MLAs, who are his "voters" for the Rajya Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh, and will stay here till he meets them.
Ahead of meeting the city police commissioner, he said, "I have my doubts (about any help from the commissioner) because of pressure from Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister on them; they will not allow meeting (MLAs), because if MLAs meet me they will come out with me."
Claiming that Singh had come to the city, as he got a message from few rebel MLAs, Shivakumar asked: "Why is police blocking, they don't have any right to block, they are blocking the right of a candidate."
"Our candidate (Singh) wants to request the higher authorities (Police Commissioner), because these people (local police) are acting on the instructions of the Chief Minister here, so they want to request the higher authorities, then we will see other remedies," he added.
Shivakumar alleged Yediyurappa did not show the courtesy of responding to Singh's call.
"He (Singh) tried to request the Chief Minister; Chief Minister did not come on phone. No basic courtesy to answer senior leaders call," he added.
In a massive setback for the Congress, its prominent youth leader Jyotiradtya Scindia quit the party and in a coordinated rebellion, last week 22 MLAs loyal to him resigned in Madhya Pradesh, pushing the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government to the brink of collapse.