Shivakumar alleged that the ED and CBI had been "directed" only at Opposition leaders and not at those from the ruling party.
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar. (Twitter)
On the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha for criticising central agencies, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar said he had been summoned by Enforcement Directorate (ED).
His daughter, he said, had also been served a notice.
DK Shivakumar on Wednesday, 8 February, said he had been asked by the ED to appear before it on 22 February, while his daughter Aishwarya had been served notice by the CBI.
The former Karnataka minister, who is currently undertaking the “Praja Dhwani Yatre” as part of the party’s preparations for the coming Assembly polls due by May, alleged that the ED and CBI were “directed” only at Opposition leaders and not at those from the ruling party.
“Notices are being sent every day. Yesterday it was sent to my daughter. Notice has been issued to our college seeking information regarding how much fees have been paid, what exams she passed. The CBI has issued the notice. What should I say? This is what they are asking — school fees and college fees. Imagine what else they must be asking. I leave it to (God),” said Shivakumar, who appeared frustrated with the developments, throwing up his hands in apparent despair.
Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar was questioned by Enforcement Directorate officials in New Delhi. (Supplied)
Speaking to reporters in Shivamogga, he said, “I have answered all of ED’s questions on what I gave to National Herald, a newspaper run by the Congress party. Now they are again asking me to appear before ED on 22 February. What to do? Should I go ahead with ‘Praja Dwani Yatre’ or appear before the ED, I’m thinking.”
“It (ED and CBI inquiries) is only against Opposition parties and not the ruling party, irrespective of the thousands of crores they may have amassed, no ED questions them,” he added.
Earlier, CBI conducted an inquiry with the staff of the Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar-owned National Education Foundation (NEF) on 19 December.
Shivakumar is the chairman of the NEF and his daughter, DKS Aishwarya, is the trustee secretary, while other family members are trustees.
The tryst of DK Shivakumar with various central agencies started in 2017 after he hosted 44 Congress MLAs from Gujarat, shielding them from an alleged poaching attempt by the BJP.
On 2 August, 2017, I-T officials, along with armed central police forces, entered the resort — where the MLAs were being put up — and conducted raids.
I-T searches were carried out at 67 locations connected to Shivakumar, his family and friends across the country.
After I-T officials reported an amount of ₹9 crore was seized during the raids, a case was registered against him in 2018.
He was acquitted of the case in 2019 but was sent to Tihar jail for 50 days in 2021 after the Karnataka High Court withheld the discharging order.
In October 2020, the CBI raided Shivakumar, accusing him of acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
After raids at 14 locations, Shivakumar was booked for disproportionate assets of ₹74.93 crore. This case was based on the input by ED, the CBI said.
A fresh summons to Shivakumar by ED earlier in September 2022 came after ED took cognizance of the CBI case against him.
The Kanakapura MLA was first caught in the ED crosshairs when he was arrested by the agency on September 3, 2019, following multiple rounds of questioning in a case that emerged from the I-T Department’s action against him.
On 28 September, 2022, as he was busy preparing to welcome the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra to Karnataka, CBI officials went about assessing his properties.
Rahul Gandhi holding on to Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar during Bharat Jodo Yatra’s first public address in Karnataka (Twitter/ INCKarnataka)
Barely 10 days ago, Shivakumar was summoned to New Delhi by the ED for questioning in the National Herald case.
Just one day after he was questioned by the ED, Shivakumar was served a notice by the Supreme Court on an I-T department petition challenging a lower court order discharging him in a tax evasion case.
In May 2022, ED filed a chargesheet against him in a 2018 money laundering case.
On 14 November, 2022, Shivakumar appeared before the ED in Delhi for questioning in the National Herald money laundering case — linked to major national leaders of Congress — for the second time.
(With inputs from PTI)
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