BENGALURU: Congress has been continuously accusing the Narendra Modi-led Union government of misusing central agencies to target its leaders but Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is not quite in agreement with his coalition partners.
Kumaraswamy contradicted Congress’ claims on Friday when he refused to deem the Enforcement Directorate notice to D K Shivakumar as harassment tactics. The Chief Minister, in fact, said that the ED notice had nothing to do with his government.
“I won’t call the ED notice issued to Shivakumar as vindictive politics. What needs to be done within the framework of law will be done,” Kumaraswamy said. He highlighted that Shivakumar will respond to the notice with information that the ED has sought from him.
Kumaraswamy’s statement is a contradiction to the narrative being built by the Congress that central agencies like ED are being misused to target opposition leaders by the union government.
“The Union government is doing this deliberately. This is politically motivated and a blatant misuse of central agencies. Amit Shah and Modi are indulging in vindictive politics to tarnish Shivakumar’s reputation,” said Dinesh Gundu Rao, KPCC president. Newly elected member of parliament from Ballari, V S Ugrappa, who met former AICC president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday, reiterated the allegations. “In a conversation with me, Shivakumar spoke about how the ED has issued another notice but has asked the same questions and sought the same clarifications making it clear that this is only aimed at troubling our leader,” he said.
With the ED and Income Tax department cracking down on him, troubles seem to be mounting for Shivakumar, who has refused to address concerns over it in public but has allowed his party and brother D K Suresh to speak on his behalf. The Congress not getting its alliance partner’s backing in the narrative it is trying to build, however, may come as a matter of concern.
Shobha sees politics of hatred in Janardhana Reddy’s arrest
Bengaluru: BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje has accused the H D Kumaraswamy government of indulging in vindictive politics against former minister Janardhana Reddy. “The state government is engaged in politics of hatred against Janardhana Reddy. Why was Reddy arrested in a hurry? The hurry shown in arresting Reddy makes one believe Reddy’s allegation of vindictive politics against the state government,” Shobha told reporters here on Friday. Rejecting the view that she is defending Reddy, she said, “We are not defending anyone. Reddy is fighting his case in the court. I condemn the vindictive politics being practiced by coalition government.”