HC extends stay on CBI proceedings against Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar till April 6
Bengaluru (PTI): The High Court of Karnataka has extended the stay on proceedings against state Congress chief D K Shivakumar in the disproportionate assets case being probed by the CBI till April 6.
The interim stay was extended on Friday by the single judge bench of Justice K Natarajan, which heard the petition by the Congress leader seeking to quash the proceedings against him.
The court also granted time till April 6 for the state government to file objections to another petition filed by Shivakumar challenging the sanction granted to prosecute him and adjourned the hearing.
The CBI had registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2020 after the state government gave consent for a probe.
During Friday's hearing, the CBI advocate mentioned that the court had stayed the proceedings against Shivakumar and the central agency has filed an application seeking to vacate the stay which should be considered.
The government counsel informed the court that since the date for the Assembly election has been announced, more time was required to file objections to Shivakumar's petition against the government's sanction to the CBI to prosecute him. Four weeks time was sought by the government advocate.
The court, however, pointed out that while the CBI was seeking early hearing, the government was seeking more time. The case was adjourned to April 6 and the government was directed to file its objections by then.
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BJP's main agenda is to keep minorities in fear, alleges Stalin
Chennai (PTI): DMK President M K Stalin has alleged that the BJP's main agenda is to keep the minorities in fear, and everyone is aware of what is happening in the states governed by the saffron party.
Stalin further alleged that Muslims continued to be subjected to attacks.
"Now, a situation has arisen where even Christmas could not be celebrated peacefully. Christians are being targeted. The entire country is a witness to what is happening in Manipur. The BJP's plan of action is that a state of insecurity for minorities should spread like a wildfire across the country," he told PTI in an interview.
That was why it first enacted the CAA, and the next was an amendment to the Waqf law, and now it is "desperate" to amend the FCRA, he alleged, and lashed out at AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami.
"Palaniswami, who supports all these three amendments and has formed an alliance with the BJP, does not have any concern for the welfare of minorities. However, the DMK is always firm in its commitment to ensure that India must always be a secular state; that people belonging to all religions must be equally respected and that the Constitutional safeguards conferred on minorities must be upheld. If any of these is threatened, the DMK will be the first party to raise its voice against it," he said.
Denying that the BJP made the minorities feel insecure, BJP state vice president M Chakravarthy said the chief minister was making the allegation due to the "fear that the Christian and Dalit votes would go to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam led by actor-politician Vijay."
He was depicting the BJP as a bogeyman in an attempt to create unnecessary apprehension among the minorities, the BJP leader told PTI.
On FCRA, Chakravarthy asked, "What's wrong with ensuring accountability in the use of funds?"
