Congress holds protests in Karnataka against D K Shivakumar's arrest
Bengaluru, Sept 4: The Congress staged protests in several parts of Karnataka on Wednesday against the arrest of senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar by the Enforcement Directorate, in a money laundering case.
Quoting reports he has received, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said five to six buses were pelted with stones and attempts made to torch one bus each in Kanakapura and Bengaluru.
Police sources said demonstrations, shutting of shops and attempts to block roads by burning tires were reported from Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Chennapattana, Bidadi and a few neighboring towns, where a bandh has been called by Shivakumar's supporters.
Shivakumar's Kanakapura assembly segment is in Ramanagara district, most parts of the which come under Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency represented by his brother D K Suresh.
As a precautionary measure, the district administration has declared holiday to schools and colleges on Wednesday.
Calling for "peace", Bommai instructed officials to take all necessary steps to maintain law and order.
Bommai, who held a meeting with senior police officials, met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa earlier in the day and briefed him about the situation.
Shivakumar, a Congress troubleshooter from the state, was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after he appeared before the ED for questioning for the fourth time on Tuesday at its headquarters in Delhi.
Protests have also been reported in Mandya, Hassan Chikkaballapura, Kolar, Davanagere, Ballari and Bengaluru.
Congress in Karnataka had given a call to all its district units for staging protests on Wednesday against the arrest.
At a few places, Congress' alliance partner in the previous coalition government, JD(S) too joined the protest.
Both parties have accused BJP-led government at the Centre of "vendetta politics" against political opponents, using central agencies.
While state Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao led the party's protest in Bengaluru, in Mysuru CLP leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took part in the agitation.
However, the BJP said investigating agencies have "strong evidence" against Shivakumar andrejeced the Congress charge of "political vendetta" behind his arrest.
It has now become fashionable for the Congress leaders to claim vendetta even when specific allegations or specific charges of financial misdemeanor, money laundering and all such financial crimes come to the fore, BJP national spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao told PTI.
Meanwhile, commenting on Shivakumar's arrest, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda said Shivakumar has appeared before the ED for four days and responded to all their queries without showing any non-cooperation.
The JD(S) patriarch termed the ED's decision to reject Shivakumar's request for relaxation to pay tributes to his father and ancestors on Ganesh Chaturti day as per family traditions as "inhuman".
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
