Hubballi: At a time when the Congress party is targeting the BJP-led union government for the arrest of its leaders, state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel said he suspected the involvement of former chief minister Siddaramaiah in the arrest of former minister D.K. Shivakumar by the Enforcement Directorate.
Addressing press persons in Bagalkote on Sunday, he alleged that the former CM has been encouraging the politics of hatred as he cannot tolerate the growth of Shivakumar in the Congress. "Shivakumar was not arrested by any Lokayukta official or the state government. The Congress was in power in the state in 2017 when Income Tax officials conducted a raid on his residence. Siddaramaiah could have stopped the lodging of the complaint and raids when he was CM during those days. It is not the BJP which is involved in this episode", Kateel said.
Maintaining that Shivakumar was arrested in connection with corruption charges and a money laundering case, he said the Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate officials have lodged the complaint and detained him only after thoroughly studying the relevant records against him.
Responding to Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister K.S. Eshwarappa's opinion that Rs 10,000 temporary compensation being provided to the flood victims is more than enough, Kateel said that his statement was misinterpreted. He also said that CM B.S. Yediyurappa has conducted an extensive tour of the flood-hit region and no government has taken such initiatives earlier. "The previous government has paid only Rs 92,000 compensation to build each house but we have announced Rs 5 lakh for those victims whose houses were destroyed in the floods", he added.
