‘Congratulate BJP for Being Successful’: Shivakumar on ED Arrest

Soon after DK Shivakumar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) late on Tuesday, 3 September, the Congress leader took to Twitter to dub the cases against him as "politically motivated", as he slammed the BJP saying, "I congratulate my BJP friends for finally being successful in their mission of arresting me."

I appeal to my party cadre, supporters and well-wishers to not be disheartened as I have done nothing illegal.

I have full faith in God & in our country's Judiciary and am very confident that I will emerge victorious both legally and politically against this vendetta politics.

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) September 3, 2019

Shivakumar was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case.

Sources told The Quint that he is likely to remain in Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital after he complained of ill health.

After his arrest, supporters of the Congress leader gathered outside the ED office in Delhi in large numbers.

One of them even broke into tears and tore off his clothes outside the RML hospital. The Karnataka Congress has now called for a statewide protest on Wednesday.

#WATCH Delhi: A supporter of Congress leader DK Shivakumar cries and tears off his clothes outside RML Hospital where the leader has been taken for medical tests. DK Shivakumar has been arrested by Enforcement Directorate under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). pic.twitter.com/BHvgr8hNSF

— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2019

Shivakumar’s supporters also staged protests in Kanakapura, in the outskirts of Bangalore, where he is a sitting MLA.

Protests are already underway in Kanakapura, DK Shivakumar's home turf, in outskirts of Bangalore. pic.twitter.com/NuQ3SRny9K

— Arun Dev (@ArunDev1) September 3, 2019

The former cabinet minister had appeared before the agency for the fourth time for questioning on Tuesday.

The Congress leader needs to be put through custodial interrogation and hence he was arrested, officials cited by PTI said.

Shivakumar will be produced before a court in Delhi on Wednesday by the Enforcement Directorate for seeking his custody.

The ED had, in September last year, registered the money laundering case against Shivakumar and others based on a charge sheet (prosecution complaint) filed by the Income Tax Department in a court in Bengaluru, for alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores.

‘Vendetta Politics’

Congress leaders in Karnataka have also cried foul saying their Shivakumar is a victim of vendetta politics, a charge rejected by BJP leaders.

All India Congress Committee General Secretary KC Venugopal in a statement called the arrest “a clear case of political vendetta by the fascist BJP government at the centre.”

“It is evident that the government is desperately trying to hide its outright failure in checking the economic slowdown and financial crisis with shameless harassment of political opponents,” he added.

We strongly condemn the high-handed tactics & vendetta politics being deployed against Congress leaders. The arrest of Shri @DKShivakumar is yet another attempt by the govt to distract the public from their failed policies & the sorry state of the economy.#BJPVendettaPolitics

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 3, 2019

Former Karnataka chief ministers Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy also took to Twitter to condemn Shivakumar’s arrest.

After days of interrogation, without allowing even a day's break for the festival, ED now cites non-cooperation to arrest @DKShivakumar. The ruling govt is using investigation agencies to oppress those opposition leaders who they think are a threat to their interests.

— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) September 3, 2019

.@DKShivakumar will definitely come out clean & the whole country will understand the ulterior motives of @BJP4India. We are all with him in this difficult times & shall provide him with full support.

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— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) September 3, 2019

(With inputs from PTI)