Somebody wants to take undue advantage: Sadananda Gowda on protest against Shivakumar's arrest
Bengaluru, Sep 11: Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday alleged that the protest rally held by thousands of people belonging to the Vokkaliga community here against the arrest of senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar was an attempt by somebody to take advantage of the situation.
The former Chief Minister, who also belongs to the Vokkaliga community, noted that the case involving Shivakumar is under investigation, an FIR had already been filed and he has been produced before the Court.
"Now, it's not fair on my part to comment. I think they have to go for legal solutions; and they should not hit the streets (to protest), that's what I feel", Gowda told PTI.
Asked if he thought the issue was taking "caste colour", the Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister said: "I don't know about all those things... this issue... somebody wants to take some undue advantage of the situation, that's all".
Thousands of people belonging to the Vokkaliga community took out a protest rally here against the arrest of Shivakumar and to express solidarity with him.
Vokkaliga and Lingayat are the two dominant communities of Karnataka.
Shivakumar, an influential Congress leader of Karnataka and a former Minister, was arrested on September three by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case and has been in the custody of the agency since then.
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Purported sleazy videos case: Action on suspended DGP after dept inquiry, says Home Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said that the government will decide on further action against the now-suspended DGP K Ramachandra Rao based on recommendations following a departmental inquiry into a case concerning videos purportedly showing him behaving obscenely with women in his office.
The minister's comments followed reports that the special probe committee has ruled out Rao's claims that the clips were fake and AI-generated.
"After further departmental inquiry, whatever they recommend, the government will decide based on that. The department has to give a report to the government, and based on the recommendation made, we will take a decision," Parameshwara told reporters here in response to a question.
Since Rao claimed the circulating videos were fake AI creations, they were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), the minister said in response to a question.
"A team was formed in the department to find the truth. They have submitted a report to the department. The department will have to inform the government about the same, based on which further action will be taken," he added.
The state government had formed a team of four IPS officers, led by R Hitendra, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order), to conduct a preliminary inquiry in the case.
The government in January suspended Rao, the 1993-batch IPS officer serving as the DGP, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), after viral videos purportedly showing him acting in an obscene manner surfaced.
The videos purportedly show the 59-year-old hugging and kissing women while in office. He was wearing a police uniform in a few videos. Rao had, however, called the videos "fabricated" and vowed to take legal action.
There were even reports that the videos were shot in 2016-17 inside the office of the Inspector General of Police - Belagavi range.
