Parrikar meets with rebel BJP legislators

PANAJI - Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manohar Parrikar Friday began a fresh round of talks with dissident Karnataka legislators, who have been camping at a five star resort here after differences with Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The meeting began at 9.30 a.m.

“There are some issues which we will discuss and settle. I am confident,” Parrikar said.

The 14 dissident legislators — nine from the BJP and five Independents — Thursday arrived at the Taj Exotica resort which has been turned into a veritable fortress.

However, the Karnataka unit of the BJP alleged that their legislators were kept hostage.

“They are being kept under house arrest with the use of the police. Initially, we were not even allowed to meet them,” said Karnataka Tourism Minister Janardhan Reddy, who was in Goa.

BJP’s Lok Sabha member from north Goa Shripad Naik, Parrikar and state BJP president Laxmikant Parsenkar were even blocked from entering the Taj Exotica by the security staff.

Naik and Parrikar were asked to walk into the hotel but their cars were disallowed from entering the premises.

Thursday witnessed high passions outside the Taj Exotica with Janata Dal-Secular leader H.D. Kumaraswamy heckled by BJP workers and his car blocked outside the hotels for several minutes.

After an aide who stepped out to confront the BJP supporters was roughed up, Kumaraswamy’s vehicle dangerously sped towards the hotel gate, running over the foot of a BJP supporter who was rushed to a hospital.

The BJP-led Karnataka government is currently in crisis mode after 19 of its legislators withdrew support. Fourteen of the dissenting legislators have camped in Goa.

The government has been reduced to a minority and has been asked to prove its majority on the floor of the house Oct 12. However, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has said he would do it a day earlier.