Jarkiholi CD row: Didn’t meet the woman, says Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar

Soon after the audio conversation, whose authenticity is yet to be verified, came out, the BJP demanded Shivakumar’s resignation

With his name having suddenly figured in the sex scandal, Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Saturday said he had nothing to do with the case.

“The (woman’s) parents are frustrated. They’ll speak. I can’t break my head over statements that are made. Authorities are investigating and there’s the law. I have nothing to do with this (case),” Shivakumar told reporters in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu where he was campaigning for the party.

Also read — D K Shivakumar behind Jarkiholi sex CD scandal, alleges woman's kin

“It’s their personal problem and they need to sort it out,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Shivakumar told reporters that he had not met the woman. “The woman tried to meet me. She might have come, but we didn’t meet,” he said. “We're in public life. As politicians, we try to help people who come to us. You can see there are tens of people who come home or to my office with their problems daily."

Shivakumar had said this after a leaked audio conversation Friday had references to him with the woman claiming that she was going to meet the Congress leader.

Read: Jarkiholi sex CD row: Want to kill myself over torture, says woman in new video statement

The Congress state president, however, said he knew Naresh Gowda, who is reportedly one of the accused in the sex scandal. “Definitely, I know Naresh. He’s close to me. I’ve visited his house many times,” he said.

Shivakumar laughed off the BJP’s demand for his resignation. According to Shivakumar, all he did was to “keep track” of BJP leaders after they publicly claimed that a few Congress MLAs will be poached. “So, we did track their movements. But these are their personal matters that we don’t want,” he said.

Asked about BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi’s charge against him, Shivakumar said: “He says different things each day. I don’t need to respond. I have my duty to do. There’s the law, it’s their government. Let them punish those who’ve wronged.”

'Explicit scenes, explicit words'

The Congress on Saturday objected the use of an expletive by BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi against its president D K Shivakumar. "It's not just Ramesh Jarkiholi's scenes that are explicit, but his words, too," the party said in a tweet, adding that it reflected the BJP's culture. "Such words can be uttered only by BJP people." The Congress also asked Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai why Ramesh was not under arrest still. "Are you keeping him out so he can do this drama?"