BJP practicing vendetta against Shivakumar: Cong leaders

Some opposition leaders on Wednesday attacked the BJP government at the Centre saying it was engaging in politics of vendetta by subjecting Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar to Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe and arresting him on money laundering charges.

Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde said that Shivakumar is being targeted for his role in averting the Karnataka crisis sometime back when the JD(S)-Congress government fell in the state.

"It has been seen that the BJP government is trying to take revenge. D K Shivakumar has always worked for the Congress and he played a major role in the Karnataka crisis and the BJP's actions are vindictive in nature," Shinde said.

Congress leader Meem Afzal echoed the same opinion and accused the BJP of engaging in vindictive politics.

"It is part of the politics of vendetta. When BJP destabilised the JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka, D K Shivakumar played a vital role in tiding the crisis. The BJP wants to punish him for that," Afzal said.

RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha affirmed that the BJP is targeting all those leaders who raised their voice against them and Shivakumar's case was an example of the same.

"They are trying to suppress the opposition and ED and CBI are targeting people of the opposition by coordinating with the government," he said.

However, the BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the ED was carrying out its duty by subjecting Shivakumar to probes because action on corruption is vital.

"Whenever an agency works, it is on the basis of substantial evidence. There is evidence of financial irregularity against DK Shivakumar on the basis of Enforcement Directorate (ED) is acting against him. Congress has every right to call it a political witch hunt but the ED is working against those who engaged in corruption," Rudy said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Congress leader D K Shivakumar in connection with an alleged money laundering case.