Shivakumar says as loyal Congress man he preferred jail to BJP's offer in 2019
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has said that he preferred to go to jail by refusing to destabilise the Congress-JD(S) coalition government and declining to take up the Deputy CM post offered by the central BJP, during the 2019 political instability in the state.
He said this on Wednesday while speaking at the launch of a book on him -- "A Symbol of Loyalty D K Shivakumar "-- written by K M Raghu.
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka termed Shivkumar's claims, as his message to Congress high command and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, ahead of "November revolution", indicating that he has other choices if there is no transfer of power, making him CM.
There have been speculations about the CM change in the state when the Congress government reaches the halfway mark of its five-year term in November, which is being referred to by some as "November revolution".
"I was in Kanakapura, my friends here know, I came running as ten people (MLAs) had gone to the Speaker to submit their resignation (in 2019). I brought back five to six MLAs. At that time, I got a call from Delhi. I won't tell now, the name of the person from the BJP who called me on an income tax auditor's phone. My brother (former MP D K Suresh) was also with me," Shivakumar said.
Addressing the gathering, he said, "There was a DG here, he too spoke, he was on another phone. I was asked from Delhi, whether you will become the Deputy CM or will you go to jail -- (Asked to) choose from these two options, and to send them (MLAs) back."
Stating that he refused to cooperate, Shivakumar said, "What to do? Party loyalty was there, as at a very young age, Rajiv Gandhi (former PM) gave me an Assembly ticket, made me a minister, with (former CM) Bangarappa's cooperation. I have grown so far."
"I told (BJP leader on call) -- I prefer jail to becoming a Deputy Chief Minister. I could have become (Deputy CM) then. Don't know what would have happened in politics. But, I stood by my party, its workers, ideology, the path in which I grew, and secular principle," he added.
However, the Congress-JD(S) wobbly government, with H D Kumaraswamy as chief minister, subsequently collapsed in July, 2019, as 17 legislators resigned and came out of the ruling coalition. It paved the way for the BJP to come to power.
Shivakumar was arrested by the ED on September 3, 2019, in a money-laundering case, and the Delhi High Court granted him bail in October that year.
Reacting to Shivakumar's statement, Ashoka, while speaking to reporters here said, "D K Shivakumar doesn't do anything without a meaning. He is sending a message to Siddaramaiah and Congress leadership that he has other choices if power is not given to him. He is also sending a message about his loyalty to Congress," he said.
"He (Shivakumar) is trying to threaten Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Siddaramaiah. If his claims are true, he should reveal facts as to who called him, at what time, from which phone number and for what?" he added.
"Shivakumar had gone to jail in a corruption case. It has nothing to do with what he is claiming. If he is saying it now, he is sending a message; this is a threat to Congress party and its leadership," he claimed.
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Akash Singh says signature celebration fuels motivation, reinforces dominance
Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.
The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.
The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.
"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.
"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.
Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.
"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.
"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.
Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.
"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.
On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.
"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.
Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.
"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.
Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..
"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.
