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: Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi has refuted allegations of a "wad of currency notes" being found at his designated seat in the Rajya Sabha. Reacting to the claims, Singhvi stated he carries only a single Rs 500 note to the Upper House.
The controversy emerged after Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disclosed on Friday that security staff had discovered currency notes at seat number 222, allocated to Singhvi, following Thursday's session. The revelation led to protests from opposition members, with Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge objecting to the public naming of Singhvi before completing an investigation.
"I request that until the investigation is done and the authenticity of the incident is established, a member should not be named," Kharge said during the session.
In response to the allegations, Singhvi took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his position. "Heard of it first time now. Never heard of it till now! I carry one Rs 500 note when I go to RS. First time heard of it. I reached inside house at 12:57 pm yesterday and house rose at 1 pm; then I sat in canteen till 1:30 pm with Sh Ayodhya Rami Reddy then I left parliament!" he wrote.
Chairman Dhankhar stated that the recovered amount appeared to consist of 100 Rs 500 denomination notes, though their authenticity is yet to be verified. He confirmed that an investigation has been initiated as per protocol and expressed surprise that no one had claimed the money.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju defended the Chairman's decision to reveal the seat number and its occupant. Rijiju also called for a detailed investigation into the matter, noting that carrying currency bundles into the House was inappropriate.
"As per routine protocol, the anti-sabotage team checked the seats to wind up the proceedings. During this procedure, the currency notes were found, and the seat numbers were deciphered. Members also signed that day. The Chairman has rightly pointed out the seat number and the member occupying it. What is wrong with that? Why should there be an objection?" Rijiju questioned.
He further added, "Don't you think that while we are progressing towards digital India, carrying bundles of notes in the House is inappropriate? I fully agree with the Chairman that this matter requires a serious investigation."