BENGALURU : Come Independence Day, and patriotic fervour flows, but among politicians, it takes a different twist. Two senior politicians — KPCC president D K Shivakumar and BJP national general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu CT Ravi, both Vokkaligas — were locked in a slugfest over India’s Independence.
Responding sarcastically to Ravi’s claims that it was due to BJP leaders’ efforts that India won Independence in 1947, Shivakumar said it was because of C T Ravi that India was now a free country.
Ravi also stated that Congress leaders need to visit a mental health institute, to which Shivakumar sarcastically said, “Yes, we will take Ravi’s statement seriously and visit Nimhans.’’
Asked about Vinay Kulkarni, Shivakumar said he is a part of the Congress and if the authorities are seeking to book him for violating Covid norms, BJP leaders who undertook Janashirvad Yatra and violated Covid norms should also be booked. The government cannot apply rules and laws selectively, he said.
On ED raids against MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan, Shivakumar said Khan has personally clarified the issue, and we have to stand with those who are victims of political vendatta. It may be recalled that Shivakumar was himself arrested and spent more than 50 days in custody after raids against him, which started after he sheltered party MLAs from Gujarat, fearing that they would be poached during the Lok Sabha elections.