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Congress’ DK Shivakumar appears before ED
Karnataka leader says he has done nothing wrong, calls summons by federal agency ‘politically motivated’
Senior Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in New Delhi on Friday in connection with a Rs 7-crore money laundering case, officials familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
The case against former Karnataka irrigation minister was filed last September and pertains to the seizure of cash from his New Delhi residence by the income-tax department during a raid in August 2017. The Karnataka high court on Thursday dismissed Shivakumar’s petition challenging the summons issued to him in the money-laundering case.
“It is my duty (to appear)... I have to respect the law. We are lawmakers and law abiding citizens. They (ED) has summoned me... I don’t know why they have called me under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” news agency PTI quoted Shivakumar as saying before entering the ED office.
Before leaving for Delhi, Shivakumar held a press conference in Bengaluru and called the ED summons as being ‘politically motivated’, adding that he ‘was ready to face ‘any conspiracy’.
“I’ve told them (ED) I’ll be present for the questioning, but I’ll look at all my legal options. I have to fight this legally and politically. This is a politically motivated conspiracy to get me. I’ve not done any wrong and I’m ready to face any conspiracy,” said Shivakumar.
Considered Congress’s trouble-shooter in Karnataka, Shivakumar was at the forefront of efforts to save the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government after several of his party legislators resigned from the state assembly.
“ I have not taken part in any illegal activities. BJP leaders have said it on record that they’re going to harass me. Let them enjoy giving me trouble. But I’ll participate and cooperate,” the Congress leader said in Bengaluru.
Attacking Karnataka chief minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yeddyurappa, Shivakumar said: “I would like to congratulate Yediyurappa. On the floor of the house he said he wouldn’t indulge in vindictive politics [but] He has sown the seeds of vindictiveness.”
Yediyurappa declined to comment on SHivakumar’s allegations.
Speaking in support of Shivakumar, former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party chief Siddaramaiah said ED was within its rights to issue summons but the agency shouldn’t be used to settle political scores. “He [Shivakumar] is being targeted for having hosted MLAs from Gujarat at a resort,” Siddaramaiah said, referring to 65 Gujarat Congress legislators moving to a resort in Banaskantha district in 2017 ahead of voting for the Rajya Sabha bypolls for two seats in Gujarat to counter ‘poaching attempts’.
