Two MP ministers assaulted, arrested by Bengaluru cops: Cong

Two Congress ministers of Madhya Pradesh were assaulted and arrested on Thursday by the police in Bengaluru in the BJP-ruled Karnataka, the ruling party claimed here. Talking to reporters at the state Congress office, party MP Vivek Tankha said the two ministers, Jitu Patwari and Lakhan Singh, had gone to Bengaluru along with the father of party MLA Manoj Choudhary, who he claimed, had been held "captive" by the BJP in a resort in the Karnataka capital.

Both the Congress ministers were also assaulted by policemen in Bengaluru, claimed Tankha, who is also a senior Supreme Court lawyer. "Not only were they assaulted, both the ministers were also arrested by the Bengaluru police," Tankha alleged at the press conference where Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh was also present.

The Congress MP said they are considering filing a petition in the Supreme Court as this is a cross-border issue. Tankha claimed that Manoj Choudhary, the MLA from Hatpipalya in Dewas district, was ready to come with his father to Bhopal, but he was not allowed to leave the resort.

The Congress has alleged that 19 of its MLAs are being held captive in the resort by the BJP, a charge denied by the main opposition party. The Kamal Nath government, which assumed office in December 2018, plunged into crisis after a rebellion by a section of Congress MLAs earlier this week.

Of the 22 rebel MLAs, 19 lawmakers, including half a dozen ministers, had emailed their resignation letters to Governor Lalji Tandon two days ago..