Digvijaya Singh Announces Hunger Strike

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesdayannounced hunger strike after he was taken into preventive custody in Bengaluruafter he tried to meet the rebel Congress MLAs lodged at a resort.

Singh in a tweet said, "We have been taken to thelocal DCP office by Bengaluru police. I demand that we must be allowed to meetour MLAs, who are in BJP's captivity. I announce my Hunger Strike, till we areallowed to meet our MLAs. We live in Democracy, not Dictatorship."

Earlier, the Congress leader was taken into preventivecustody today when he tried to enter a resort where the ruling party's 22 rebellegislators are lodged.

According to a police official, Singh was taken intopreventive custody near the Ramada resort at Yelahanka when he was trying tostage a protest after he was denied entry into it to meet the rebel MLAs.

Police further informed that besides Singh, 9 MadhyaPradesh ministers and 2 party legislators were detained along with KarnatakaPradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar at the Amruthahalli policestation in the city's northern suburb.

Speaking to reporters outside the police station,Singh said, "I am a Rajya Sabha candidate and I am not allowed to meet our MLAs."

Other Madhya Pradesh leaders detained include statecabinet ministers Sajjan Singh Verma, Jeetu Patwari, Umang Singar, LakhanGangoriya, Sachin Yadav, Hersh Yadav, Lakhan Yadav, Ashok Singh Yadav and TarunBhanot.

Party MLAs Arif Masood and Kunal Choudhari were alsodetained at the police station.