Bengaluru, Oct 23: Former Prime Minister H DDeve Gowda and ex-Chief Ministers H D Kumaraswamy andSiddaramaiah welcomed the Delhi HighCourt order on Wednesday granting bail to Congress leader D K Shivakumar in a money laundering case, filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
As the news about Shivakumar getting bail broke, his supporters and Congress workers celebrated by bursting crackers and distributing sweets in Ramanagara, Belagavi, Tumakuru, Kanakapura, Mandya and near his Bengaluru residence.
"Delhi High Court granting bail to D K Shivakumar has increased common man's trust in country's judicial system. I welcome the court's decision," Gowda tweeted.
Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA, was arrested by the EDon September 3 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
"Getting bail from Delhi high court is happy news," Siddaramaiah told reporters at Bagalkote.
He alleged that Shivakumar was being politically targeted.
"...let them (ED) investigate, but sending to jail duringinvestigation is not right. On proving to be guilty one can besent to jail, but sending while the investigation is still onis not right. Vengeance politics is not right..," he added.
The 57-year-old Shivakumar is under judicial custody and presently lodged in Tihar jail.
Both the Congress and Shivakumar have claimed he was beingtargeted by the BJP-led government at the Centre by "misusing" investigating agencies.
"Delhi High Court granting bail to D K Shivakumar is a matter of happiness. On Monday I had met Shivakumar and tried to boost his courage, and expressed hope about him getting bail," Kumaraswamy tweeted.
The JD(S) leader who met Shivakumar at Tihar jail on Monday had said that the Congress leader was "bold" to fight "vengeance politics".
Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy, both Vokkaliga strong men, have been bitter political opponents in the old Mysuru region,until they came together for the formation of Congress-JD(S) coalition government, after 2018 assembly polls.
Shivakumar was a key minister in the Kumaraswamy cabinet and played a major rule in the stability of the coalition government until it collapsed in July, following resignation of several MLAs of the two parties, eventually leading to installation of the BJP government.
His arrest had lead to widespread protests, especially in Ramanagara, Bengaluru rural, Mandya and other parts of old Mysuru region.
It had even taken a caste colour with thousands of people belonging to the Vokkaliga community taking out a rally recently in Bengaluru protesting the arrest and expressing solidarity with him.
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New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lashed out at the BJP on Friday over its leader Sambit Patra calling Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi a "traitor".
She asserted that nothing is above the country for her brother.
She said the accusation was nothing new coming from such people as those who called former prime ministers traitors.
"Those who can call Jawaharlal Nehru, who spent 13 years in jail during the Independence struggle, a traitor, those who can call Indira Gandhi, who broke Pakistan into two, a traitor, and those who can call Rajiv Gandhi, who was martyred for the country, a traitor, then if they are doing the same with Rahul Gandhi then there is nothing new in it," Priyanka told reporters outside the Parliament building.
"I am proud of my brother, for my brother, nothing is above the country," she said as she participated in the opposition's protest over the Adani issue.
Referring to his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Priyanka said her brother walked 4,000 kms from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir for the unity of this country.
She also alleged that the BJP did not have the courage to discuss the Adani issue in Parliament.
"They don't have the courage to discuss the Adani issue (in Parliament). Why is there a problem in discussion... discussion happens in democracy only, they are afraid of it as well," she said.
On Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party MPs K Laxman and Patra cited to the press a report published by French media outlet "Mediapart" to target Gandhi.
Patra claimed that billionaire investor George Soros and some US-based agencies, investigative media platform Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Gandhi form a "dangerous" triangle trying to destabilise India and stoke public disaffection for a regime change in the country.
"I have no hesitation in saying that he (Gandhi) is a traitor of the highest order," Patra said.