ED action against Nagendra needless, politically-motivated: Shivakumar

Bengaluru, July 12 (IANS) Reacting to the arrest of a former minister by the ED on Friday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar stated that detaining B Nagendra was unnecessary as the SIT is already looking into the case and called the development politically-motivated.Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Dy CM Shivakumar said, “We are already probing the matter. Action against him by the ED was not required.”Dy CM Shivakumar was referring to the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government.“The developments are politically-motivated, and we will see what happens,” he emphasised.Commenting on the BJP’s protest over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotments, he stated that no scam had taken place as was being alleged by the BJP.“Whatever happened was during the tenure of the BJP government. After winning the Lok Sabha elections, they want to make Karnataka look bad again. Nothing of that sort is happening here, and everything is perfect. All this is politically motivated and we will see what happens,” he reiterated.When asked about CM Siddaramaiah’s statement that he was being targeted because he hails from a Backward Class and made it to the CM’s post twice, the senior leader confirmed that this was true.“He is being targeted because he belongs to a Backward Class. Karnataka is the only large state where the Congress is in power, and they want to demoralise us. The state will not allow this,” he said.In a setback for the Karnataka government, the ED on Friday arrested Nagendra in connection with irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited (KMVSTDC).Sources revealed that the ED is preparing to detain KMVSTDC Chairman and Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal, and his arrest is likely soon.Meanwhile, the BJP is staging a large-scale protest demanding the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah for his alleged involvement in the MUDA irregularities.–IANSmka/rad