Raids on D K Shivakumar not connected to bypolls: Karnataka Deputy CM

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Monday said the CBI searches on KPCC president D K Shivakumar had no connection with and the upcoming bypolls.

Speaking to media persons following an event at Vidhana Soudha, Narayan said Shivakumar was already facing a lot of probes. "The raids are a continuation of investigations being carried out by Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate," he said.

Read | CBI raids multiple premises of D K Shivakumar, brother D K Suresh; Rs 50 lakh in cash recovered

He also criticised the Opposition for trying to take advantage of the situation for political reasons. "Shivakumar has said that he would assist the agencies in the probe. It is an opportunity for him to prove his innocence," he said.

Medical Education minister K Sudhakar took a dig at Congress for calling the raids 'politically motivated'.

“Every time there’s a CBI raid, the Congress leaders call it politically-motivated. But, when Amit Shah was barred from entering Gujarat for two years and when the current Andhra Pradesh CM and other non-Congress leaders faced CBI raids, have they forgotten that it was the Congress that was in power at the Centre?” Sudhakar said.