ED summons Karnataka Cong chief Shivakumar in money-laundering case

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Thursday said he has received summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it in connection with a case of money-laundering.

Calling the action of the ED as harassment, he questioned the timing of the summons when the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra was on and when the State Assembly session was underway.

The former Minister, who is also an MLA said he is ready to cooperate, but it is coming in the way of discharging his Constitutional and political duties.

'In the midst of the #BharatJodoYatra and the Assembly session, they have again issued me an ED summon to appear. I am ready to cooperate but the timing of this summon and the harassment I am put through, is coming in the way of discharging my constitutional and political duties,' Shivakumar tweeted.

All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala said seeing the 'overwhelming' public support for Congress and 'resounding' response to the preparation for the yatra, the Narendra Modi-headed government at the Centre has brought the ED -- 'the Election Dept of BJP' -- to target Shivakumar.

"Such cowardly acts will strengthen our resolve to decimate the corrupt Bommai (Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai) government," he said.

'Mekedatu Yatra, the August 3 rally, the August 15 Freedom March, exposing of 40% commission Sarkara-Jobs Scams & failure on Bengaluru floods have unnerved the Modi Govt. The illegitimate Bommai Govt is looting #Karnataka recklessly becoming infamous for 'One Scam a Day'!' Singh further tweeted.

The ED had arrested Shivakumar on September 3, 2019 in a money-laundering case and the Delhi high court granted him bail in October that year.

The agency had, in May, filed the charge sheet against Shivakumar and others in the case which it had registered as a corollary to a complaint filed by the Income Tax (I-T) department.

The I-T department, during the initial probe, had allegedly found 'unaccounted and misreported' wealth linked to the Congress leader.

Shivakumar had rejected the charges against him as 'baseless' and 'politically motivated'.