Bengaluru: While Congress MLA DK Shivakumar continues to be grilled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in New Delhi for the fourth consecutive day in the unaccounted cash case, in Bengaluru, the debate over vindictiveness continues. 

A few days ago, Congress MLC CM Lingappa had said that the incumbent national president of the BJP Amit Shah had called him up during the time when Shivakumar was taking care of a few Gujarat MLAs at a resort near Bengaluru. The MLC had also added that Amit Shah had asked Shivakumar to let go of 3 Congress MLAs, but he did not accede to Shah’s request. 

The MLC had gone to the extent of saying that the present episode of Shivakumar being grilled by the ED was only an act of vengefulness by Amit Shah. 

Also read: Karnataka: Congress trouble-shooter Shivakumar in trouble as high court refuses to stay summons by ED

Today (September 3), one of the deputy chief ministers of Karnataka Govind Karjol dismissed the claims by Lingappa. 

He said, “There is no need to honour such statements. Some people speak in order to get political mileage in a particular context. All these claims are nothing else but baseless.” 

The deputy CM also said that none should make fun of a human being when he is in trouble. 

But earlier last week, it might be recalled that the same deputy chief minister had mocked Shivakumar saying that one has to go through the consequences of the blunders that one makes, by taking the example of salt and water. 

Hurt at these jibes, Shivakumar rued that his “BJP friends” had not allowed him to celebrate Ganesha festival with his family members back in Bengaluru. 

Shivakumar finds himself in a tight spot after unaccounted cash of Rs 8.5 cr was recovered from his residences in New Delhi. A case was filed in this regard and the Enforcement Directorate is currently interrogating him in this regard.