Sanction for CBI probe against Shivakumar in DA case illegal, so withdrew it: CM Siddu

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Defending his cabinet's move to withdraw approval for the CBI probe against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in a disproportionate assets case, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said, the sanction given by the previous BJP government is illegal.

The cabinet on Thursday deemed the previous BJP government's move to give consent to the CBI to investigate the DA case against Shivakumar as not being in accordance with the law and decided to withdraw the sanction.

The CBI has claimed that Shivakumar amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 74.93 crore, disproportionate to known sources of his income from April 1, 2013 to April 30, 2018, when he was the Energy Minister in the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of 2013- 2018.

"What we have said is that the sanction given is illegal. For an inquiry on any government servant, the government will have to give sanction. If it is a minister, the Governor should give sanction, and if it is an MLA, the Speaker has to give it. Here the Speaker's permission was not taken. Shivakumar was an MLA when sanction was given," Siddaramaiah said.

Responding to a question, Siddaramaiah said he would not comment on court decisions; the government will do what it has to.

"The sanction was given illegally (by the previous government), it is not right, we will withdraw the sanction is what we have said... we cannot hinder what the court decides, we cannot interfere, let the court decide what it has to," he said.

Withdrawal move to only correct 'procedural lapse'

Defending the Cabinet's move to withdraw consent for a CBI probe against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said the government has not gone into the merits of the disproportionate assets case against him, but has only corrected the "procedural lapse" on the part of the previous BJP regime.

Maintaining that the Congress government's decision is not politically motivated to "protect" Shivakumar, he said the opposition BJP and JD(S) were free to interpret whatever way they want.

"(B S) Yediyurappa (as Chief Minister) had given oral instructions to the Chief Secretary to give sanction to the CBI to investigate the case. Wasn't it politically motivated then? What we have done is within the framework of law. The then Advocate General during the BJP government has himself said, also our Advocate General also has said the same," Parameshwara said, in response to opposition allegation that the decision was politically motivated.