DK Shivakumar Arrested: Congress Leader's Health Deteriorates; To Be Produced Before Court Today

Karnataka Congress has called for a state-wide protest on Wednesday against Shivakumar’s arrest.

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New Delhi: Senior Congress leader from Karnataka DK Shivakumar's health has deteriorated after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday night , sources in the agency informed.  He was admitted to RML Hospital at 11 pm on Tuesday after complaining of chest pain. Medical examination revealed that his blood pressure had shot up. The arrested Congress leader and former minister in Karnataka cabinet, will be produced by the ED before a Delhi court on Wednesday, where the ED is likely to demand his custody for interrogation. Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress has called for a state-wide protest on Wednesday against Shivakumar’s arrest. On Tuesday as well, the Congress workers staged protest against the arrest of Shivakumar at different places in Bengaluru. Party workers also staged protest in Delhi. Shivakumar was arrested on Tuesday after his questioning for the fourth time by the ED, on charges of money laundering. An ED official was quoted as saying by news agency IANS that Shivakumar was evasive and non-cooperative during questioning by the agency. The Congress party has dubbed his arrest as a “clear case of political vendetta” by the BJP government at the centre. Soon after his arrest Shivakumar termed his arrest as a politically motivated move. He tweeted: “ I congratulate my BJP friends for finally being successful in their mission of arresting me.  The IT and ED cases against me are politically motivated and I am a victim of BJP's politics of vengeance and vendetta.” “I appeal to my party cadre, supporters and well-wishers to not be disheartened as I have done nothing illegal.  I have full faith in God & in our country's Judiciary and am very confident that I will emerge victorious both legally and politically against this vendetta politics,” he said in the following tweet.

I congratulate my BJP friends for finally being successful in their mission of arresting me.

The IT and ED cases against me are politically motivated and I am a victim of BJP's politics of vengeance and vendetta. — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) September 3, 2019

I appeal to my party cadre, supporters and well-wishers to not be disheartened as I have done nothing illegal.

I have full faith in God & in our country's Judiciary and am very confident that I will emerge victorious both legally and politically against this vendetta politics. — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) September 3, 2019

Reacting to Shivakumar’s arrest, Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy accused BJP of doing vindictive politics. “Vindictive politics has become the order of the day. Opposition leaders are easy victims of power misuse. In public life, we need to be strong to face baseless allegations and conspiracies. I am sure Mr @DKShivakumar is strong enough to face this vindictive agenda against him,” he tweeted. Shivakumar, a former Karnataka minister was on the radar of the Income Tax Department and the ED since demonetisation in 2016. An Income Tax search at his New Delhi flat on August 2, 2017 led to seizure of unaccounted cash worth Rs 8.59 crore. Thereafter, the Income Tax Department lodged cases against the Congress leader and his four other associates under Sections 277 and 278 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and Sections 120(B), 193 and 199 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Based on the I-T Department chargesheet, the ED registered a money laundering case against Shivakumar. Shivakumar has accused Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa of indulging in vindictive politics by targeting him and other state opposition leaders.