Congress slams Shivakumar's arrest, says Centre fabricating opponents

Congress on Tuesday condemned what it called "highhanded tactics" allegedly used in arresting DK Shivakumar in a money laundering case and alleged that the Centre was fabricating its political opponents in false cases to "divert people's attention from its massive failures".

Congress on Tuesday accused the government of "fabricating its political opponents in false cases to divert people's attention from its massive failures" and said it had resorted to "high-handed tactics" in arresting party leader DK Shivakumar in a money laundering case.

"The continuous and targeted harassment of opposition leaders by the government with the sole aim of diverting the attention of the people from its massive failures continues unabated. For the last five years, the Modi government has been targeting its political opponents by fabricating false cases with political vendetta and vengeance," Congress Communications Incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement.

"All these acts of mindless vendetta on part of the Government and its puppet agencies, the Congress Party will continue to oppose," he added.

Surjewala said the party will continue to protest against the "blunders being deliberately committed by the Government on various fronts, the gravest being that of annihilation of the Indian economy and pauperisation of its people."

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also said that Opposition leaders were being targeted in an attempt to divert the attention from structural failures of BJP government and "to prevent the voices of dissent".

"DK Shivakumar is also a victim of their vindictive politics. He will definitely come out clean and the whole country will understand the ulterior motives of BJP. We are all with him in this difficult times," Siddaramaiah said on Twitter.

Earlier, Shivakumar took potshots at BJP and congratulated them for "finally being successful in their mission" of getting him arrested.

The Congress leader said that he has done nothing "illegal" and he will emerge "victorious both legally and politically".

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday evening arrested Shivakumar in connection with an alleged money laundering case.

On August 29, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed his petition challenging the summons issued by the ED in December 2018. Later that night, he was summoned by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was asked to appear before it on August 30, following which he was interrogated for four days.

The 57-year-old leader had earlier asserted that he has not done anything wrong and will fully cooperate with the investigating agency.

( With inputs from ANI )