'Not taking my words back but...': DK Shivakumar on his Mangaluru blast comments

Shivakumar once again declared that the BJP was using the case to paper over failures in dealing with corruption and theft of voters' data.

The war of words between Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party continued Friday after he insisted he would not retract his comments about the Mangaluru pressure cooker blast case. Shivakumar once again declared that the BJP was using the case to paper over failures in dealing with corruption and theft of voters' data.

'Not taking my words back but...': DK Shivakumar on his Mangaluru blast comments

"My stand is clear. I am not going to take back my words on Mangaluru blast case. I am not defending the accused but trying to say that the BJP is using such incidents to cover their failures. Important issues like corruption and voter data scam are sidelined using the blast case (but) never I had said not to investigate the accused," Shivakumar said.

On Thursday the Congress leader accused the state's BJP government and its top cop, director-general of police Praveen Sood, of damaging Karnataka's global image. He also asked why the blast had been declared a 'terror activity' without proper investigation.

Read | Mangaluru blast: 'How can police call it terror activity?' DK Shivakumar

"Ruling government and DGP immediately declared it 'terrorist activity' without any investigation... as if similar to Mumbai terror attack. How can the police call someone a terrorist without even a basic investigation?" he asked.

"No investors are interested in Mangaluru and Udupi region because of panic created by police and government. It is a danger sign for the growth of the state," he declared.

Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra slammed DK Shivakumar for questioning the integrity of the state's police force. "Congress is stooping to a new low every day... sadly, DK Shivakumar is doing politics over a terror attack," he said, adding, "He is playing politics with an eye on minority votes."

On November 19, an explosion took place in an auto-rickshaw in Mangaluru, injuring the driver and the passenger - 24-year-old Mohammed Shariq who is the prime accused. Police called it a 'terror act' and claimed the accused has links with organised terror groups