With the deployment of large number of security personnel, a luxury hotel in Guwahati turned into a fortress on Wednesday as several rebel Shiv Sena MLAs from Maharashtra led by state minister Eknath Shinde camped there, putting the existence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government under threat.
Entry of mediapersons into the hotel has been barred, where the Assam police have take over the security from the hotel's private guards.
These legislators have been put up in the Radisson Blu hotel on NH-37 in Gotanagar area of Guwahati.
As per the report by EastMojo at least 70 rooms have been booked for seven days in hotel.
According to reports by NDTV, seven days’ tariff for the rooms in Guwahati’s Radisson Blu hotel is ₹ 56 lakh, sources at the hotel and local politicians told plus daily estimated cost of food and other services at ₹ 8 lakh a day. This is excluding the charges for flights and other transportation.
You can see the pictures of the hotels here.
Earlier, the dissident legislators were received at the Guwahati international airport by Assam BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das and MLA Sushanta Borgohain.
After landing at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, the rebel MLAs were taken to the hotel on the outskirts of the city in three Assam State Transport Corporation luxury buses, escorted by the police.
With the deployment of a large security contingent led by senior officers, tight security has been put in place in and around the hotel.
This was the first time that rebel MLAs from outside the region have been brought to the northeast.
"The MLAs are known to us. They came here and we have received them as a matter of courtesy," BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain told the media.
Meanwhile, talking to the media, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: "40 people came to Assam. This is good. We are happy if more people come. We hardly have any tourists during this time.
"Some of our colleagues are there (with the Maharashtra MLAs). I will meet them if I find time today or tomorrow. Presently I am going to oversee the flood relief activities."
The Congress on its part criticised the Assam Chief Minister for 'conspiring' to bring down the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra at a time when the people of Assam are in serious distress due to the devastating floods.
(With inputs from agencies)
