Responding to the recent Cabinet decision to withdraw the government consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into disproportionate caste against Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister C. N. Ashwath Narayan alleged that the Congress government was hiding behind excuses to safeguard Mr. Shivakumar.
“There was no irregularity or violation of law when we [the previous BJP government] gave consent for CBI probe. If we had violated the law, why didn’t they [Congress] raise the issue in the court thus far? If we had violated the law, the case would have been rejected within five minutes in the court. It was not rejected, which means that we had done it as per the provisions of the law. Many governments in the past have attempted to withdraw the cases probed by the CBI. But they have failed. Courts have rejected their pleas. In this case, also, the CBI probe will continue. The truth will triumph. The essence of the case is that he [D.K. Shivakumar] amassed wealth which is disproportionate to his known source of income. He has to answer the question of where he has amassed the wealth,” Mr. Narayan told media persons at a private farm near Kadaganchi village in Kalaburagi district on Saturday.
When asked about senior BJP leaders, especially V. Somanna and Basangouda Patil Yatnal, publicly expressing discontentment against the party’s State leadership, Mr. Narayan said the party leadership would resolve the issues and take everybody along.
