Karnataka bandh today LIVE Updates: Congress calls for protest after D K Shivakumar’s arrest – The Indian Express, Indianexpress.com

Karnataka Bandh Today Live News Updates:The Karnataka Congress has called for a state-wide bandh Wednesday followingthe arrest of DK Shivakumar by Enforcement Directorate(ED) in a money laundering case Tuesday. The senior Congress leader was arrested by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the agency grilled him for the fifth day.

“In order to condemn the arrest of DK Shivakumar and the misuse of the Enforcement Directorate by the government, the Karnataka Congress has called for a state-wide bandh on September 4,” KPCC General secretary Sathyan Puthoor toldindianexpress.com.

The money laundering case registered by the ED last year is the fall out of an investigation carried out by theincome tax department against Shivakumar in 2017where Rs 8. 83 crore in unaccounted cash was found in New Delhi in locations linked to the Congress leader. The ED had in September last year registered the money laundering case against Shivakumar and others based on a chargesheet (prosecution complaint) filed by the Income Tax Department in a court here for alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores.

In the wake of DK Shivakumar’s arrest, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao has also directed all district units of the party to stage protests on Wednesday.

Following the Congress leader’s arrest, stones were pelted on 5 KSRTC buses in Satanur, the native place of Shivakumar, and in Channapatana and Ramanagara. Three buses from Kanakapura depot and 1 from Channapatna depot were vandalised by stone pelters.

Protests across# Karnatakaintensify after the arrest of former minister and senior@ INCKarnatakaleader# DKShivakumar. Stone pelting on 5 KSRTC buses in Satanur, 2 buses from Kanakapura depot and 1 bus each from Channapatna and Malavalli depots.@ IndianExpresspic.twitter.com/sahypCu5Vy

– Ralph Alex Arakal (@ralpharakal)September 3, 2019

Protests intensified across Karnataka condemning the arrest of the seven-time legislator and former Energy, Water Resources Minister. On Tuesday, effigies of BJP leaders were also burnt in Ramanagara as part of intense protests across major roads and key areas of the town.

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) PRO said that they are monitoring the situation. “We are monitoring situation, directed divisional officers to take action of services suspension based on local situation. Control rooms have been activated and divisional officers have been asked to act suitably,” he told indianexpress.com. Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Bengaluru Rural IGPs have also been alerted for precautionary measures.

Senior Congress leaders have condemned Shivakumar’s arrest and said that the BJP government was playing vendetta politics.

Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy reacted over Shivakumar’s arrest and said, “We were expecting this for the last 7-8 months. The Central government is misusing their offices to suppress the leaders of the opposition.”

“He (@DKShivakumar) has been cooperating with ED / IT officials for all inquiries till date on his business transactions until until today. Why is it necessary to keep him in custody for more days even then,” he added.

Karnakata Chief Minister BS BS Yediyurappa also reacted over the Congress leader’s arrest: “It’s not that I’m happy with his arrest. I pray to God that @DKShivakumar should come out of all this.”

“In my life, neither have I hated anyone nor wished for something bad to happen to someone. Law will take its own course in such cases, “he said.

Also known to be Congress’ trouble-shooter in Karnataka, Shivakumar’s arrest comes at a time when former finance minister P Chidambaram is also facing trial in the INX Media money laundering case.