Probe agencies have "strong evidence" against Shivakumar: BJP

The BJP on Wednesday said investigating agencies have "strong evidence" against former Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar and rejeced the Congress charge of "political vendetta" behind his arrest. It has now become fashionable for the Congress leaders to claim vendetta even when specific allegations or specific charges of financial misdemeanor, money laundering and all such financial crimes come to the fore, BJP national spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao told PTI.

Describing the Congress charges as "politically convenient statements" of the opposition party, he said the case of Shivakumar has been under probe for a very long time and agencies certainly have a strong evidence of his "financial bungling, financial misappropriation".

"They (probe agencies) have taken all the time to really investigate the case properly and this action (Shivakumar's arrest) cannot really be termed political by any stretch of imagination", Rao, also a Rajya Sabha member, said.

Shivakumar, a Congress troubleshooter from Karnataka, was arrested under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in New Delhi on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering case. His arrest has drawn condemnation from several opposition Congress and the JDS leaders, who alleged political vendetta by the BJP-led government at the Centre.

"The ruling govt is using investigation agencies to oppress those opposition leaders who they think are a threat to their interests", JDS leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy alleged.

PTI