Minister D.K. Shivakumar cries foul over BJP's graft charges
Bengaluru, Sep 19: Accusing the BJP of trying to destabilise the coalition government in Karnataka, state's Water Resources Minister of the Congress D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday cried foul over the graft charges levelled by the BJP against him and his party.
"The BJP is trying to destabilise the JD-S-Congress coalition government in the state by levelling baseless charges of corruption and money laundering against me and my party," Shivakumar said.
Reacting hours after BJP spokesman Sambit Patra alleged in Delhi that the Congress and corruption were "synonymous", Shivakumar said he had been cooperating with the Income-Tax (I-T) department and would do so even with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if it served notice on him in the money laundering case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on Tuesday filed a case of money laundering against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This was based on a chargesheet the I-T department had filed in a special court in Bengaluru early this year involving alleged tax evasion and money laundering worth crores of rupees.
"Unaccounted cash, hawala transactions and corrupt deals are the pillars on which the Congress sits. We now know why the Congress was crying during demonetisation," said Patra at a press conference in New Delhi earlier in the day.
Presenting confessional statements of the three accused to the I-T department in the case pertaining to the recovery of Rs 4 crore from Shivakumar's flats in New Delhi, Patra said the evidence showed Congress's involvement and 'proof of hawala network' that helped money transfer from Karnataka to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in the national capital.
Patra also claimed that the money was transferred to the AICC office not in lakhs or crores but in kilogrammes.
Refuting Patra's allegations, the Minister said he did not do anything illegal or made any mistake and accused the BJP of defaming him and his party.
"Rs 40 lakh was found in my Delhi flat, which my friends and business partners have declared that it belonged to them. Every rupee found has been accounted for," claimed Shivakumar,
Recalling that the I-T sleuths had raided 82 places belonging to him and his friends on August 2, 2017, Shivakumar said the action (raids) was taken on the same day he was hosting the party's legislators from Gujarat at a resort in his (Bengaluru Rural) district.
Asserting that he would face the law, Shivakumar said BJP's state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa had been charged with corruption.
"Though I have been in the hospital recuperating from food poisoning, I am forced to address the media to refute Patra's allegations against me and my party," added Shivakumar.
Reiterating that the Congress stood by its minister, party's state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the money in Shivakumar's possession was accounted for.
"Minister @DKShivakumar rebuts @BJP4India spokesman #SambitPatra's baseless charges; Reiterates he and his family are tortured because he refused to join BJP," tweeted Rao, adding every single paisa in his possession is accounted for. @INCIndia stands by Shivakumar.
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BJP govt in Bengal will speed up CAA implementation, infiltrators must leave: Modi
Katwa (WB) (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday promised to accelerate the provision of citizenship under CAA for Matua, Namasudra and other refugee communities if the BJP came to power in West Bengal, while warning "infiltrators" to "pack up their bags".
Addressing a rally at Katwa in Purba Bardhaman district, Modi sought to reassure the Matua and Namasudra communities -- a politically influential refugee bloc concentrated in south Bengal -- that their future was protected not by the ruling Trinamool Congress but by the Constitution and the CAA.
The prime minister said a BJP government in Bengal would not only follow the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,' but would also add 'Sabka Hisaab,' which means every "looter and oppressor" will be held fully accountable.
"I have come to give a guarantee to the Matua, Namasudra and all refugee families of Bengal. You are not here by the grace of any TMC leader. You are here under the protection of the Constitution," Modi said.
"Modi enacted the CAA law so that Matua, Namasudra and all refugee families receive the guarantee of the Constitution (citizenship). As soon as a BJP government is formed here, the work of granting citizenship to refugee families under CAA will be expedited," he said.
The pitch comes a day after the Bengal BJP, in its manifesto, promised "citizenship and rehabilitation for all Hindu refugees" -- a message aimed squarely at Matua and Namasudra voters, many of whom have complained of large-scale deletions from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
But the prime minister paired the citizenship promise with an even sharper attack on alleged illegal immigration.
"The BJP government will free Bengal from yet another major challenge. Whoever has infiltrated India will be driven out," Modi said.
"I will tell every infiltrator to pack up their belongings. It is time to leave," he said, triggering loud cheers from the crowd.
He warned that not only infiltrators, but also those who had "facilitated" them would face action.
In a state where refugee identity and citizenship have remained politically combustible for decades, Modi attempted to turn the issue into a referendum on trust, accusing the TMC of spreading fear among refugee families while failing to protect their interests.
Congratulating the Bengal BJP for its manifesto released a day earlier, Modi said it contained the roadmap to implement the party's six guarantees.
"The BJP has resolved to take Bengal to new heights of development. Modi's guarantee is to transform the fear of TMC's ruthless government into trust, and the entire blueprint for that change is in the BJP manifesto," he said.
Seeking to project confidence, Modi claimed the huge turnout at the rally showed that Bengal was ready for political change.
"This scene is the trailer for the results of May 4. I am witnessing your fervour, your enthusiasm, your energy and your resolve. This is the proclamation of trust triumphing over fear. Bengal is ready for change," the PM added.
Modi also cited the BJP's performance among women voters elsewhere to argue that the party was steadily moving towards victory in Bengal.
"Wherever there is heavy voting and strong participation by women, BJP-NDA has received a massive mandate. In Bengal too, BJP is steadily moving towards victory," he said.
"The 15-year rule of TMC has given nothing but fear to every citizen, every family of Bengal. This election is to eradicate the TMC's fear," he said.
Seeking to match and outbid the TMC's welfare plank, Modi repeatedly referred to what he called the BJP's "three guarantees" for women, youth and government employees.
For women, the BJP has promised a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000.
"Bengal's sisters and daughters will be able to come and go anytime, anywhere. BJP government means complete assurance of women's safety," Modi said.
For unemployed youth, Modi promised age relaxation in government recruitment for those who had crossed the age limit because of what he described as the TMC's "misgovernance".
He also promised implementation of the 7th Pay Commission for state government employees.
The PM sought to sharpen the corruption issue as well, promising a "white paper" on what he called corruption involving TMC ministers, MLAs and syndicates.
"The BJP government will bring a white paper and give a legal account of the corruption of TMC's MLAs, ministers and syndicates," he said.
"BJP will not stop any scheme. BJP will only shut down the shop of corruption and stop TMC's loot," Modi said, accusing the ruling party of falsely claiming that welfare schemes would be discontinued if the BJP came to power.
Modi also used the rally to attack the TMC over the crisis facing potato farmers.
"TMC's deceit has ruined potato farmers. They promised to buy potatoes at MSP, but farmers' crop are rotting," he said.
Modi said Bengal's farmers would receive Rs 9,000 annually under the PM-Kisan scheme -- Rs 6,000 from the Centre and an additional Rs 3,000 from a BJP government in Bengal.
The welfare-heavy pitch was capped with a promise to roll out Ayushman Bharat in Bengal immediately after the BJP forms the government.
"On the day a BJP chief minister takes oath, the very first cabinet meeting will implement Ayushman Bharat Yojana. This is Modi's guarantee," he said.
