'Sex scandal': Woman's family blames Congress Karnataka chief D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Mar 27: The 'sex scandal' allegedly involving former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi took a new twist on Saturday with the parents of the woman in the purported video blaming State Congress chief D K Shivakumar, and accusing him of playing "dirty politics" by using their daughter.
Jarkiholi too, who has been hinting about the involvement of a "Mahan Nayaka" (great leader) behind the video clip and its leak, named Shivakumar for the first time as he flayed him for indulging in such a "filthy conspiracy".
He also announced a political and legal battle against him.
Shivakumar on his part, however, said, he has nothing to do with the case as he has never met the woman, and let the investigation happen.
Following the developments, the woman released a video statement, her fifth, and claimed her parents were speaking under the influence of someone and after seeing all this, she was scared to appear before the SIT to give her statement.
She also sought help from Chief Minister Yediyurappa, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to give her statement about the injustice done to her before a judge.
The woman's parents and brothers today appeared before the Special Investigation Team which is probing the scandal.
They were subjected to almost six hours of questioning on their complaint of kidnap and the woman's video clip.
"..we have evidence, we have spoken to officials (SIT) and have given it to them, we will give it to you (media) as well. My daughter is an example of politics being played using a Schedule Tribe (ST) woman," the woman's father told reporters after appearing before the SIT.
"If anything happens to our family, D K Shivakumar is responsible for it," he said.
"I'm an ex-soldier, I have guarded the country, can't I guard my daughter..for your dirty politics why are you using a woman for all these things. Send her back to us," he said.
Also stating that the family was under no pressure and because of their current mental tension, they are put up at a relative's house,he dismissed concerns expressed by his daughter about their safety, and asked her to return to them.
"What protection will you get from them that you can't get from me, I have guarded the country, I'm your father, I'm here to protect you..come to us, we don't want such politics," he told his daughter through the media.
The woman's brother too alleged Shivakumar was behind all this and he has evidence for it.
"My sister has been used to making such videos.D K Shivakumar has done it,I have evidence and will share it..," he said.
Stating that his sister used to say it was not her in the video and someone has morphed and edited the clip, he claimed when he asked her (on March 2) to return, she said she was going to D K Shivakumar's house.
"She also said D K Shivakumar is giving her money and sending her to Goa. She said she was asked to follow what he says..," he said, quoting his sister. He also said for the last 20 days, there has been no contact with her.
In an audio clip that surfaced later, reportedly shared by the family, the woman can be purportedly heard telling her brother that she has been asked by Shivakumar not to go to her native place and follow his instruction, and nothing will happen to her.
As her brother warns that she will be deserted later on, the woman can be heard purportedly saying, it won't happen as Shivakumar himself was sending her outside and has given her the money.
Clarifying that nobody had threatened them, the family requested the police and media to help them in getting back their daughter.
Hours after police registered an FIR against Jarkiholi for sexual abuse based on the woman's complaint on Friday, the first purported unauthenticated recording of a telephonic conversation between her and family members had surfaced in which she can be allegedly heard talking about going to Shivakumar's house to meet him.
The audio clip had triggered sharp reactions, with Karnataka BJP attacking Shivakumar and demanding that Congress seek his resignation as party's state unit chief.
Jarkiholi, who spoke to the media minutes after statements from the woman's parents, said he will be fighting Shivakumar both legally and politically.
"..I'm ready to join hands with Kumaraswamy (of JDS) or anyone against him.I will not contest from Gokak, will make my brother to contest from there and work to defeat Shivakumar," he said.
Jarkiholi also claimed he has some evidence and will hand them over to the SIT.
Hitting out at Shivakumar, the Gokak MLA alleged he was unfit for politics and appealed to all political party leaders including the Congress to retire him politically.
"...such conspiracies should not be hatched. There is no pardon for him", he said and pointed out the family's statement has proved him innocent.
Dismissing the allegations,Shivakumar said Jarkiholi was speaking out of frustration and that he cannot respond to whatever someone speaks, and he has nothing to do with it.
"He (Jarkiholi) is in frustration, may have some problem, so he is speaking...I cannot answer whatever he speaks. There is law, there are officials, let the investigation happen. I have nothing to do with it," he said.
The congress leader said government should investigate and punish the guilty.
On a parent's allegation about him playing politics using their daughter, he said, "I don't need it, I don't know.
I have not met her (woman), no one has come to me..."
Shivakumar earlier in the day too had clarified that he had never met the woman.
The woman in a video statement released earlier in the day, her fourth, had sought protection for her family.
A day after news channels aired videos of the alleged sex scandal, Jarkiholi, who was Water Resources Minister in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa-led cabinet, had resigned on March 3.
Jarkiholi has repeatedly claimed that he was innocent and that the video was "fake".
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Karnataka Milk Federation enters Delhi-NCR, offers competitive pricing on Nandini products
New Delhi, Nov 21: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday launched the Karnataka Milk Federation's (KMF) Nandini brand milk products in the Delhi-NCR market, pricing them marginally lower than competitors to gain a foothold in the region.
The cooperative will retail four cow milk variants, curd, and buttermilk from Friday, with competitive pricing that undercuts established players like Mother Dairy and Amul.
Cow milk will be sold at Rs 56 per litre, full Cream Milk at Rs 67 per litre, Standardised Milk at Rs 61 per litre, Toned Milk at Rs 55 per litre, and curd at Rs 74 per kg.
"We have surplus milk in the state. KMF along with Mandya Milk Union will market surplus milk of 3-4 lakh litres per day in Delhi-NCR," Siddaramaiah told reporters after launching the products.
The federation currently collects 100 lakh litres of milk daily, with local consumption at 60 lakh litres, leaving a surplus of 40 lakh litres for expansion into new markets.
However, the Chief Minister acknowledged the challenges of transporting milk over 2,500 km, which takes 50-54 hours.
There is a need to find new markets for surplus milk and gradually the KMF should be able to sell 5-6 lakh litres per day in Delhi-NCR, he added.
KMF Chairman LBP Bheemanaik assured that milk quality would be maintained during transit.
The federation has already partnered with 40 dealers in the Delhi-NCR region to facilitate sales, he added.
With a robust infrastructure of 26.76 lakh milk producers, 15,737 dairy cooperative societies, and 15 district milk unions, KMF has a turnover of Rs 25,000 crore and exports dairy products to over 25 countries.
State Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh and Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy were present at the product launch.
ದೇಶದ ಹಾಲು ಉತ್ಪಾದನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗುಜರಾತ್ ಮೊದಲ ಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರೆ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಎರಡನೇ ಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿದೆ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 21, 2024
ದೆಹಲಿ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆ.ಎಂ.ಎಫ್ ಮತ್ತು ಮಂಡ್ಯ ಹಾಲು ಒಕ್ಕೂಟಗಳು ಸೇರಿಕೊಂಡು ವಿವಿಧ ಶ್ರೇಣಿಯ ಹಾಲನ್ನು ಮಾರುಕಟ್ಟೆಗೆ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿವೆ. ದೆಹಲಿಯ ನಿವಾಸಿಗಳಿಂದ ನಂದಿನಿ ಉತ್ಪನ್ನಗಳಿಗೆ ಅತ್ಯುತ್ತಮ ಸ್ಪಂದನೆ ದೊರೆಯಲಿದೆ ಎಂಬ ವಿಶ್ವಾಸ ನನಗಿದೆ.… pic.twitter.com/yUmTQknGzD
