DK Shivakumar defends Congress after former mayor’s arrest

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Tuesday defended his party following the arrest of former mayor Sampath Raj in connection with the August 11 Bengaluru riots.

“Be it Sampath Raj or DK Shivakumar, everybody has to respect the law. Sampath Raj will respect the law,” Shivakumar told reporters, adding that the BJP government was trying to target the Congress.

Read | Bengaluru Riots: CCB arrests former Mayor Sampath Raj

“We’ve seen what they have done. I’ve seen the charge sheet. Where is (the evidence) that the Congress is involved? There’s a clear attempt to target the Congress and bring a bad name to our party,” he said. He declined to comment when asked why Raj was held if there was no evidence.

The Bengaluru police apprehended Raj early Tuesday morning. The former mayor was said to be absconding for nearly a month. “He didn’t run away. He was not feeling well, is all,” Shivakumar said.

Raj has been accused of inciting the attack on Congress’ Pulakeshinagar legislator Akhanda Srinivas Murthy’s house during the August 11 rioting in DJ Halli and KJ Halli. Murthy’s house was completely gutted in the violence. The legislator has publicly accused Raj of being involved in the attack.

On Tuesday, Murthy thanked Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and others for “ensuring justice”. Speaking to reporters, Murthy said Raj would not have escaped from hospital if he was not guilty. “Why did he run away? If he’s not guilty, he could have cooperated with the police,” he said.

Shivakumar, while not abandoning Raj’s side, said the party was also with Murthy. “Who said I’m not with Murthy? Our leaders and I visited his house, we mounted pressure on the police and we’ve done whatever we had to,” he said, adding that Murthy was free to meet him personally to discuss “internal party matters.”

Raj’s arrest is a “big development” in the probe into the riots, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, adding that the government had a strong case and “it will stand in court.”