Shivakumar targets Centre even as his roadshow blocks ambulance

After a rousing reception at the Bengaluru airport and a massive roadshow that caused inconvenience to people, Congress' senior leader DK Shivakumar addressed a press conference on Saturday, October 26, and accused the Centre of targeting his party. Reiterating his claims that the Central government is using agencies to target Opposition leaders, DK Shivakumar went on to say that it is torturing him and his family. He called the raids and investigation on P Chidambaram and other Congress leaders as bogus and said that it would bring disastrous outcome for the BJP. Speaking on Maharashtra and Haryana elections, Shivakumar derided the popularity of BJP is now fading.

READ: DK Shivakumar's judicial custody extended, ED to quiz him in jail

"The Centre is targetting Congress and Shivakumar. Big leaders from Congress or any popular leader from the state are constantly being targeted. Whether or not we can form a government, raids continue to happen unnecessarily. Open challenge to BJP- do whatever you want, I will not be intimidated, I have the strength to face it and I will not falter," Shivakumar said in his press conference.

Even as an ambulance was stuck in traffic due to his massive roadshow, Shivakumar blatantly said: "The reception I received today should be a message to BJP. If you keep taunting Congress, you will face a disastrous outcome."

READ: Bengaluru: DK Shivakumar returns, receives rousing welcome at Airport

The case against Shivakumar  

The ED case against Shivakumar is based on the charge sheet filed by the Income Tax (I-T) department in 2018. Essentially, the I-T department raided 60 properties of Shivakumar and his associates in August 2017. It unearthed nearly Rs 8.59 crore of cash at four of his premises in Delhi. The I-T department accused him of regularly transporting unaccounted cash through the Hawala network with the help of his four associates namely, Sachin Narayan, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah and N Rajendran. These associates were booked for abetment of false returns and giving false evidence. According to the I-T department, Shivakumar was instrumental in setting up a web of persons in Delhi and Bengaluru to transport and utilize the unaccounted cash. All of them were accused of tax evasion too. 

READ: Cong leader DK Shivakumar walks out of Tihar jail after getting bail

Delhi HC grants bail 

While the ED had opposed his bail plea, Justice Suresh Kait of the Delhi High Court granted bail to Shivakumar on Wednesday, October 23. Ruling that the Karnataka Congress leader was not a flight risk, he added that there was no possibility of the evidence being tampered with as the documents were already with the investigative agencies. Shivakumar, who was released on a bail bond of Rs 25 lakh cannot leave the country without the permission of the court. Subsequently, the ED challenged the bail granted to him in the Supreme Court.  

READ: Shocker! DK Shivakumar’s bail celebration roadshow blocks ambulance