BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday alleged that some BJP leaders are trying to finish him off politically as the CBI has issued a notice to him in connection with the Disproportionate Asset (DA) case despite the Congress government withdrawing the permission given to it to probe him.
“Even after the government’s withdrawal of permission given to the CBI, notices have been issued to several people and organisations, including a cooperative society, headed by me. I don’t understand their objective. But it looks like they are hatching a conspiracy to trouble me and my party.
This is an attempt by the BJP leaders to finish me off politically,” he told reporters in reply to a query on CBI serving him the notice about his alleged investment in a Kerala-based private TV channel.
He said the CBI probe has been transferred to the Lokayukta after the High Court of Karnataka approved the withdrawal of permission given to the CBI.
Have not done anything wrong: DKS
“I don’t know why they have issued me a notice again. They have all my documents. My legal understanding is that the documents should be handed over to the Lokayukta,” Shivakumar said. “The CBI has been seeking information from my organisations, my wife and children and other family members,” he said.
Alleging that many BJP leaders are talking about sending him to jail again, he said he has not done anything wrong. “I had given all the documents to the CBI. They had not even completed 10% of the investigation but told the court that they had completed 90%. If they are determined to put me behind bars, let them do so. I am ready,” he said.
Asked if CBI’s fresh notice has anything to do with the coming Lok Sabha elections, he said they are avenging his contribution to the election of Ahmed Patel to the Rajya Sabha in the past.
“Ahmed Patel is not alive today but they continue to torture me. I know who is behind this. I will fight this out legally,” he said.
Shivakumar clarified that the party's high command will take a call on fielding some ministers in the LS elections from the state.
“The high command has asked the CM and the DyCM to submit a report. A meeting with defeated candidates, MLAs and block-level leaders will be held on January 10. Anything can happen in politics, some ministers may have to contest the LS elections. But it will be decided by the party high command,” Shivakumar said.
“The high command has not accepted any list of ministers contesting the LS elections. I have not recommended any list. But it has asked me for a report which I am yet to submit,” he clarified.
He said he and CM Siddaramaiah will attend a meeting of the high command on January 4 in New Delhi with a report on potential candidates submitted by some ministers who have been appointed as observers for 28 LS seats. There is no shortage of candidates in the party. There are three to four aspirants in every constituency and some places, eight to ten, he claimed.