CBI raids: DKS brothers say Centre targeting them

Congress MP D K Suresh and his elder brother and legislator D K Shivakumar on Thursday charged that the Centre was continuing to misuse investigating agencies to target them and their close associates.

Suresh, Lok Sabha member from Bangalore Rural, accused that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP national chief Amit Shah of conspiring against him and his brother.

He said Modi, who had earlier let loose investigating agencies like Income Tax (I-T) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to target the two brothers and their associates, had now directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to “hound” them. The CBI had obtained search warrants against 11 persons, which included him, Shivakumar and nine other associates, he claimed.

“The BJP tried to both tempt and intimidate Shivakumar and me during the dramatic political developments in Karnataka in the past 15 days. Neither me or my brother will yield to such pressure tactics. But the BJP should stop indulging in such hate politics,” he said.

Shivakumar said he and his family members had been victimised by the BJP for the past seven to eight months.

“This in nothing but harassment. Earlier the I-T was sent after us -- now it is the CBI. But, such arm-twisting or intimidation tactics will not work with us. We are ready to fight any kind of difficulties and face the consequences. I have faith in the law, constitution and the judiciary. Bureaucrats cannot be the BJP’s political tool. I appeal to the BJP to stop such intimidating tactics. Let’s play a fair political game,” he said.

If the BJP and the Centre feel they can threaten and jail us, they are mistaken, he said. The brothers found support from other senior Congress leaders.

Leaders including former chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao, former minister U T Khader and Tumkur MP S P Muddahanume Gowda said that the Congress would stand by the duo no matter what.

However, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said that the state government had nothing to do with the search warrant issued against Shivakumar and Suresh. “The CBI is a central government agency. This matter is left to the Centre and Shivakumar,” he added.