Bengaluru, Sept 4: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has said he is sad to hear about the arrest of senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar by the Enforcement Directorate. Yediyurappa said he will be very happy to see Shivakumar come out but added that the law will take its own course in the money laundering case against DK Shivakumar.
BS Yediyurappa said he would be "more happy than everyone" if DK Shivakumar, a former Karnataka minister and senior Congress leader, comes clear of the charges.
"I pray to God that he should come out from every thing. I have neither hated any one in my life, nor have I wished bad for any one. Law will take its course. If he comes out (of the charges) I will be more happy than any one," he told reporters in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, DK Shivakumar's arrest by the ED came in for condemnation from opposition leaders in Karnataka on Tuesday with former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy coming out in his support and accusing the BJP of using central agencies to "oppress voices of dissent".
After Shivakumar's arrest, his supporters held protests at nearby Ramanagara and in Ballari.
Congress sources said the party has given a call to its district units for staging protests on Wednesday against the arrest of DK Shivakumar.
The Congress troubleshooter from the state was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning for the fourth time on Tuesday at its headquarters in Delhi.
Condemning the action, Siddaramaiah alleged opposition leaders were being targeted using central government agencies.
"It is just an attempt to divert the attention from structural failures of @BJP4India govt & also to prevent the voices of dissent. @DKShivakumar is also a victim of their vindictive politics," he said in a series of tweets.
Shivakumar would definitely come out clean and the whole country would understand the "ulterior motives" of the BJP, he said.
"We are all with him in this difficult times & shall provide him with full support," the Congress legislature party leader said.
HD Kumaraswamy said the ED has cited non-cooperation as the reason to arrest Shivakumar after days of interrogation, without allowing even a day's break for the (Ganesh Chaturthi) festival.
"The ruling govt is using investigation agencies to oppress those opposition leaders who they think are a threat to their interests," he charged in a tweet.
The Karnataka unit of Congress and the Youth Congress also slammed the arrest of Shivakumar, a troubleshooter for the party and said they stood by the leader.
"Despite full cooperation in investigation DK Shivakumar is arrested by ED. This is political vendetta & High handed tactics against Congress by BJP," the state Congress tweeted.
In a statement, the state Youth Congress said "We stand by our leader D K Shivakumar ji. Such attempts to insult and humiliate leaders only reflect the BJP's fear of others, cowardice to admit their mistakes & incompetence in directing our country in crisis."
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