Team of Central probe agencies visits educational foundation owned by Cong chief DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 19: A team of Central investigation agencies, including the CBI, on Monday inquired with the staff of the National Education Foundation belonging to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar.
The inquiry was a part of a case, which is being probed, but no searches or raids were carried out, sources in the CBI said. The Congress leader, who is also an MLA from Kanakapura, told reporters in Belagavi that the officers visited the NEF here and inquired with its staff. He, however, said he was unaware of the reason behind the visit.
"I don't know why they went there. I just know that they came and met our trustees and staff. I have no clue what they inquired with them," he said.
According to him, there were no cases against the NEF Trust. He added that he would face the situation.
The Congress leader has been facing a money-laundering charge.
Meanwhile, sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation said it was neither a raid nor a search.
"Already, a case has been registered. So it's just part of that inquiry but no searches or raids were carried out," a source told PTI.
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said he has no clue about the background behind the visit of the officials of the central agency.
He, however, maintained that the questioning should not be seen as politically motivated because the Enforcement Directorate had raided him in the past when there were no elections around.
Jnanendra also said the BJP did not require to use the Central agencies for political gains.
"There is no need for BJP in this country to conduct raids for political gain," the Home Minister said.
The team visited the NEF while the winter session of the Assembly is on in Belagavi.
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Stalin accuses Centre of trying to use women's quota as 'weapon,' slams EPS over delimitation
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population.
"The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview.
"Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added.
Expressing apprehensions on the proposed delimitation exercise, the CM said it was the DMK that raised the first voice asserting the rights of the state after realising that Tamil Nadu would be affected by the proposed exercise. He also attacked his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami over the delimitation issue.
Recalling efforts made by the DMK to raise the issue of population-based delimitation, he said an all-party meeting and a meeting of CMs under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee seeking fair delimitation were convened. It sought to freeze delimitation for 25 years and stick to it based on the 1971 Census population.
"We urged the union government that states which successfully implemented population control programmes must not be punished," he added.
The party came up with "Tamil Nadu poradum, Tamil Nadu vellum" (Tamil Nadu will struggle, Tamil Nadu will win) and this is DMK's stand, he said.
"However, Palaniswami, who is seeking votes for the entry of the BJP through the backdoor, has till date been mute over delimitation, and this is a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu."
