Judiciary sent strong message to BJP, ED by rejecting cases: Shivakumar on National Herald verdict

Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 17 (IANS) Commenting on the National Herald judgement, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said that the Judiciary has sent out a big message to the BJP and Enforcement Directorate (ED) by not considering politically motivated cases.

Speaking to reporters after staging a protest in the premises of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, in this regard, Shivakumar stated, "I am happy that the Court refused to take the ED charge sheet into account. ED has lost its reputation by misusing power. Truth has prevailed finally, and I would like to thank the Judiciary for this.”

Asked if he was being targeted for standing by the Gandhi family, he said, “They are trying to intimidate us with their vendetta politics. They are trying to put us in jail, but I have seen jail. Nothing is permanent in politics; the whole country stands with us today.”

Questioned about renaming MGNREGA, he said, “They can’t remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name. Let them remove Gandhi’s photo from the currency notes. The BJP is trying to erase the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, but they won’t be successful.”

Asked about the Opposition protest against false information being given to the House on the Gruha Laxmi amount, he said, “Let them table a Privilege Motion in the House if they are so confident. If they have any respect, let them talk about MGNREGA, lack of funds for irrigation projects, and Central funds for Jal Jivan Mission. The government is releasing funds based on the availability of funds. Sometimes there may be delays, but the money would certainly reach them.”

Earlier, participating in a protest organised at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha premises, Shivakumar hit out at the BJP for its vendetta politics and said the Congress party can’t be defeated by conspiracies.

“Vendetta politics is the BJP’s style. National Herald is a national asset, and the Court’s order has proven that the BJP’s false cases don’t last long. BJP can’t defeat us through conspiracy,” he said.

“This is the end of the BJP conspiracy and victory for democracy. The National Herald case is a loss of face for the BJP and justice for the Congress party. They conspired to put Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi behind bars. This vendetta politics must end. We need to strengthen the hands of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi,” the Deputy CM said.

“This is a victory for truth. Our leader Jawaharlal Nehru started National Herald in 1937 to give a voice to the people. This is a property of the Congress party, and the President of the Congress party becomes a shareholder in this by default. But BJP is trying to prove that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have made this their personal property,” he said.

“By virtue of being KPCC President, I am the Chairman of the Trust, and CM is a trustee too. Does that mean Congress Bhawan becomes our personal property? It belongs to the Trust. There are hundreds of properties in that Trust. Whoever comes after me will become the Chairman of the Trust,” he added.

“The Delhi Police had given a notice to my brother and me for donating money to the National Herald. It is my hard-earned money, and I can donate it to anyone of my choice. ED had filed a PMLA case against me, but the Supreme Court has quashed it. Similarly, the Court has said that the case filed against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is not relevant,” he added.

“They disqualified Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha for his speech in Kolar. Has there been any such instance of gross misuse of power in the past? He became an MP again due to intervention from the Courts,” he noted.

“Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi could have become the PMs of this country, but they sacrificed it. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for the nation. The sacrifices of the Gandhi family for the nation are immense,” he said.

--IANS

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