From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 27: The notices issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh to appear before it for questioning in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case is “part of a political conspiracy” by the BJP, alleged Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday.

Speaking to media persons near his residence in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the ED notice is nothing but a political conspiracy against non-NDA governments by the Centre and mentioned that ED had issued such notices to him in the
Disproportionate Assets (DA) case.

“It is a settled legal fact that two agencies cannot investigate the same case simultaneously as per the judgements by the courts in several cases,” he said pointing out that the State Lokayukta is already investigating the MUDA case. Shivakumar said he will speak in detail after obtaining full facts of the case.

Answering a question on the demand for a CBI probe in the MUDA case, he said the CBI and ED were conducting simultaneous investigations in the DA case against him and stated that he had raised the issue before the court citing the past ruling by courts that two agencies cannot investigate the same case simultaneously.

The deputy chief minister claimed that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is very stable. “There is no problem with regard to the chief minister’s post. All of us are working under the leadership of the chief minister,” he added.

Later, he released the New Year calendar brought out by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewarage Board (BWSSB) to coincide with the 60 years since its establishment. Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar, BWSSB chairman

Ram Prasad Manohar, secretary Madan Mohan and others were present.