Mumbai Police provides security to 'ailing' Karnataka Cong MLA

Mumbai: Mumbai Police, on Friday, has provided security to Karnataka Congress MLA Shrimant Patil, who has been admitted in a state-run hospital here, and is recording his statement, an official said.

Patil, the legislator from Kagwad in Belgaum district, arrived here on Thursday and was hospitalised after he complained of chest pain. He was first admitted in a private hospital and later shifted to state-run St George Hospital in South Mumbai, the official said.

"We have provided security to the MLA and his statement is being recorded," he said. A team from Karnataka police has also arrived at the hospital, he said.

"I went to Chennai for some personal work and felt chest pain, so I visited a hospital and on medical advice, I came to Mumbai and got myself admitted here," Patil had said on Thursday.

The Congress had alleged Patil had been "kidnapped" as part of efforts to "topple" the coalition government in the southern state.

Congress leader and Karnataka minister D K Shivakumar had said they would produce documents to show Patil was forcibly admitted to the hospital to skip the trust vote in the Assembly.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala has set 1.30 pm on Friday as the deadline for Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to provide his majority on the floor of the house.

According to sources, 15 rebel MLAs from the Congress and JD (S) are camping at a luxury hotel in Mumbai.