Karnataka: Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister Rahim Khan resigns from govt, no as MLA

Amid ongoing political turmoil in Karnataka, Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister Rahim Mahmood Khan on Wednesday resigned from the government but not as an MLA.

"I am a sports and youth services minister and my ministry has very small budget. Therefore, I have resigned from the ministry. I have not resigned as MLA," he told media persons.

On being asked if he was ever contacted by the BJP, the Congress leader said: "It does not matter if I was contacted. Even if they contact me, I will not join their party. There is some issue at the internal level in the government, which could definitely be solved."

The 13-month old Congress-JD(S) government slumped into crisis following the resignation of 10 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly last week.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Working President Dinesh Gundurao accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of destabilising the Karnataka government.

"BJP's actions clearly show that it is engineered by the central leadership and Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are directly involved in destabilizing the government. India is being ruled by a fascist government. Narendra Modi gives a lot of good speeches, but does something else," Gundurao told media persons.

Continuing his attack on the Centre, Rao accused it of engineering defection of Congress and JD(S) MLAs. "BJP is involved in this entire operation. They are accompanying them, booking aircraft, luxurious hotels and spending crores and crores of rupees on them," Congress leader added.

On D K Shivakumar being detained by Mumbai Police, he said: "The hotel is not government property, it is private property. He has booked a room there, why is he being not allowed to access his room? What are they afraid of?"

Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar, who was on a dharna outside the Mumbai hotel where 10 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs were staying, was detained by Mumbai Police.

Along with Shivakumar, Congress leaders Milind Deora were also detained by the police who was accompanying the Karnataka Minister outside the hotel.

Both Shivakumar and Deora were escorted away in a police vehicle to the Kalina University rest house.