Have done no wrong, only did party work, says DK Shivakumar facing DA case
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday claimed that he has done no wrong, and did only the party work, for which he has faced a lot of troubles.
The state Congress president's comments were in the context of proceedings in Karnataka High Court, in connection with the CBI's investigation in a disproportionate assets (DA) case against him.
"I don't know anything....I don't know what has happened in the court, it won't be right on my part to comment without knowing....my lawyers will have to inform me, without that I cannot comment as it is a court matter, and according to me staying away from court matter is good," Shivakumar told reporters in response to a question on the proceedings in the High Court.
On BJP leader and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal filing an intervening application challenging the withdrawal by the state government of the consent for the CBI probe in the DA case, he said, "Let anyone do anything...I know who has said or commented what, and have observed them with utmost humility. I will respond to them at the right time, not now."
Asked if he saw the development in the court as a relief, the deputy CM said, "People have seen, I have done no wrong."
"I only did the party work. I have suffered a lot of troubles for doing the party work. If they want to trouble me in the future too, there is god, and people of the state are also there. You know what happened in the state, for troubling me (possibly indicating assembly poll results). My 'namaskaras' to the people who stood by me and prayed for me," he added.
The High Court today allowed Shivakumar to withdraw the appeal filed by him challenging a single judge's order refusing to quash a government sanction to the CBI to prosecute him in the assets case.
The previous BJP government had granted sanction to the CBI to prosecute Shivakumar, following which an FIR was lodged against him and an investigation undertaken on alleged charges of disproportionate assets.
Shivakumar withdrew the appeal after the current Karnataka cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on November 23, held that the previous BJP government's move to give consent to the CBI to investigate the DA case against Shivakumar was not in accordance with law and decided to withdraw the sanction. Subsequently, a Government Order was issued in this regard.
Based on the Income Tax Department's search operations in Shivakumar's home and offices in 2017, the Enforcement Directorate started its own probe against him.
Based on the ED investigation, the CBI sought sanction from the state government to file an FIR against him, for which the sanction was given on September 25, 2019. The CBI filed an FIR against Shivakumar on October 3, 2020.
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Rajnath to top commanders: Outmaneuver adversaries with strategic surprise
Jaipur/New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top military commanders of the three services to integrate an "element of surprise" into modern warfare to outmaneuver India's adversaries and bolster strategic posture.
In his address at the joint commanders conference in Jaipur, Singh also described the Operation Sindoor as a testament to the "swift, precise, and joint response" of the Indian armed forces to safeguard national interests and called upon the military to remain ready to deal with any security challenges.
In their two-day deliberations, the commanders carried out a comprehensive review of the combat preparedness of the military in the wake of the evolving regional security situation.
Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of India's growing capabilities and a symbol of the nation's collective resolve and new military ethos, Singh said, a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
He also unveiled a 'Joint Doctrine for Integrated Communication Architecture' that is aimed at strengthening doctrinal clarity, interoperability and integrated communications across the armed forces in future multidomain operations.
The joint commanders' conference, themed 'Military Capability in New Domains', brought together the top leadership of the defence ministry and the three services to deliberate on emerging security challenges and future readiness.
Comprehensive deliberations were held on future warfare, multidomain operations, technological transformation and joint capability development.
The conference witnessed extensive discussions on cognitive warfare, cyber resilience against evolving quantum and AI-enabled threats, military capability development in emerging domains, indigenous innovation and AI-enabled warfighting concepts.
It was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh among others.
In his remarks, Singh asked the commanders to remain "future-ready" by learning from the operation as well as the current global security landscape.
He underscored the need to strengthen capabilities in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, data analytics and secure communication networks to stay prepared in the rapidly evolving geopolitical security scenario. He emphasised that future conflicts will increasingly be shaped by hybrid threats, information dominance and operations conducted simultaneously across cyber, space, electromagnetic and cognitive domains, according to an official readout.
Highlighting the transformative impact of emerging technologies, Singh stressed on the importance of ensuring integrated national preparedness across all spectrums of conflict, it said.
Singh's remarks at the conference came a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
The defence minister appreciated the progress achieved in enhancing jointness, integration and technological adoption across the three services, the readout noted.
Singh said that jointness constitutes a pivotal dimension within the transformative changes sweeping across the global defence sector.
"Future wars will not be won solely through weaponry, but through innovative thinking and enhanced synergy," he said.
The defence minister exhorted the commanders to cultivate the "element of surprise" to remain unpredictable to the nation's adversaries and secure a strategic edge in any given situation.
He, however, urged them to remain vigilant of the element of surprise of the enemy and always stay two steps ahead.
Singh also reiterated the Narendra Modi government's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the defence forces through state-of-the-art weapons and platforms. He added that special focus is being laid on research in niche domains.
During the conference, he released a documentary film on Operation Sindoor.
The film reaffirms the nation's and defence forces' commitment to operational preparedness and decisive national response capabilities.
Demonstrations of advanced systems and platforms developed for intelligence fusion, operational planning and information management were also showcased during the conference reflecting growing integration of cutting-edge technologies into joint operational structures, according to the defence ministry.
The discussions will contribute significantly towards shaping India's future military transformation and integrated operational preparedness, it said.
