BENGALURU: Criticising the decision of the state cabinet to withdraw the CBI probe against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in the alleged disproportionate assets case, senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa on Friday called the decision ‘illegal’, adding that Siddaramaiah wants to safeguard D K Shivakumar.
“We took the decision only after taking a legal opinion from the advocate general. The High Court also upheld our decision and they have not given any relief. Indirectly, the Chief Minister wanted to help Shivakumar; that’s why he took such a decision, which is illegal. They want to safeguard Shivakumar for so many reasons,” Yediyurappa said.
A political rift has broken out in the state after the cabinet’s decision to withdraw a CBI case investigating Dy CM D K Shivakumar’s alleged disproportionate assets case.
Defending the state cabinet’s decision to withdraw the CBI probe against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in the alleged disproportionate assets case, CM Siddaramaiah said on Friday that the decision taken in the cabinet is correct. “The decision taken in the cabinet is correct”, CM Siddaramaiah said.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka BJP chief B Y Vijayendra also called the decision “totally illegal” under the Constitution. Vijayendra urged Shivakumar to trust the legal process and not support such cabinet decisions. He also demanded that the Chief Minister revoke this decision.
“The decision taken by the state cabinet pertaining to DK Shivakumar’s disproportionate assets case The decision of the cabinet is totally illegal under the Constitution. I request our deputy CM, D K Shivakumar, that if you have faith in the legal process and legal remedy, then please don’t entertain such decisions taken by the cabinet… I demand CM take back this decision. Crores of money have been seized in Karnataka and other states. When the ED is investigating the entire issue, then the decision of the cabinet is completely illegal”, Vijayendra said.
Meanwhile, JDS leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy targeted the Congress government over its approval of a proposal to withdraw a CBI case investigating the alleged disproportionate assets of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, saying “This government is in power to safeguard the dacoits”.
“This government is in power to safeguard the dacoits. When an issue is in court, I don’t want to speak more about it. People who have some shame respect the court; those who don’t have shame will not care. They have such an arrogant attitude that they can buy anything”, Kumaraswamy said.
Responding to the charges Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar claimed he wasn’t aware of the cabinet decision. “I have seen it in the newspapers. I could not attend the cabinet meeting yesterday. I am going to Telangana for election campaigning for two days”, Shivakumar said.
The Congress government, however, has defended its decision claiming the case against Shivakumar was politically motivated. “BJP can only threaten. They tried it through social media and agencies. Since yesterday, they have been doing the same thing in the disproportionate case of Shivakumar. The BJP is just spreading misinformation on this issue. The case against Shivakumar was politically motivated and it was filed to control Congress and Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar because they (BJP) were losing the elections”, RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge said.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court has adjourned the hearing of the appeal filed by DK Shivakumar against the sanction accorded by the previous government to the CBI to prosecute him in the disproportionate assets case, to November 29. (ANI)