Hang me if I’ve wronged, says D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru: Congress leader D K Shivakumar on Saturday declared that he had not committed any mistake, and that his 50-day incarceration had “made me stronger” and that “my fight will continue.”
Addressing an emotional news conference at the Congress headquarters here, Shivakumar said he spent his time in prison introspecting why he was in this situation.
“If I’ve done anything wrong, let God and the law punish me,” he said. “Whatever I have declared in my affidavit, including details about my wife and daughter, is before the people of the state and the country. It’s being talked about and investigated. If myself, my brother and any family member has gone against the law, I’m ready to accept any punishment,” he said. “If I’ve wronged, let them hang me.”
The Enforcement Directorate, Shivakumar said, had moved Supreme Court against his bail. “I’m also told that the state government has permitted the CBI to conduct an inquiry on me. I’m ready to face it,” he said.
“My case, money-laundering and I-T case, will be a big precedent in India,” he said.
Throughout, Shivakumar was measured in his comments, while never once launching a direct attack on the Modi administration or the BJP. “There’s only one thing I want to tell (investigating) officers – your experiments on me, regardless of who is behind it, let’s see how that goes,” he said.
The former minister vowed to make public in the coming days “facts and documents” related to his case.
“By birth, I’m an agriculturist, businessman by profession, educationist by choice and politician by passion. I’ve not betrayed anyone at any point and I’ve never worked against my conscience.”
Trying to hold back tears, Shivakumar lamented how his 86-year-old mother was subpoenaed to appear in Delhi for questioning.
“Imagine this happening to your mothers,” he said. “Emotionally, I’m hurt that my kids will be ridiculed as children of a father who went to jail.”
Thanking his party, his supporters, his BJP friends and the media, Shivakumar said he was not weakened. “My fight for justice will continue.”
Ashoka flays Congress
In Hubballi, Revenue Minister R Ashoka criticised the Congress party leaders for giving a grand welcome to Shivakumar, who was released on bail, saying, “he has not returned after winning a war”.
When the case is still before the court and is in the initial stage, such a behaviour is not correct. It is being done as a damage control measure to maintain the image of Shivakumar, Ashoka charges.
Hang me..? Is he trying to intimidate the judiciary and the officials with such rhetoric when he knows that financial misdealing will not qualify for such hang-to-death punishments? Why is he crying like a highly passive-aggressive child?
It will take a million years before Indians learning the meaning of human dignity. Most Indians have been silent when Indian leaders misuse Indian institutions to intimidate political opponents into submission.
Roy,
I am assuming you are referring to DKS here when you mention human dignity? With that assumption, I would like to ask –
How exactly was DKS’s dignity violated in the way ED has handled this case?
People accused of crimes which are similar to which DKS is accused of would have had to go through far worse treatment. There are people accused of similar crimes who have been without bail for longer than DKS. In fact there is so much of prima facie evidence of money laundering against DKS and his associates/family members, in China he would have been executed by now.
He keeps banging on this defense saying he hasn’t cheated anyone but economic crimes affect each and every citizen of this country. In fact the amount of pain such crimes indirectly cause to poor people is far more serious than a terrorist incident. Economic crimes make the whole country suffer due to the theft of nation’s wealth, the wealth which should have gone into the real economy to create jobs, generate wealth, uplift the poor, control inflation but what’s happening is that these elected fatcats steal in broad day light and still claim innocence. People like DKS, PC should be jailed for at least for 25 years because they have abused their position of power to their advantage. Not everyone gets the privilege to be the public servants. Until we bring about such severe punishment, India will continue to remain a banana republic. Once such laws are enacted, we won’t hear about another PNB, PMC, ILFS, Mallya type of scandal. It’s the fear of facing the consequences for breaking the law that keeps the country civilised. This 7 years max punishment is nowhere sufficient in proportion to the loot.
Now, please do not bring up your whataboutisms – I know there are crooks in BJP too and I want them punished too. Congress can keep that in mind when they come to power next, whenever that is.
The government should try Shivkumar in court by presenting the evidence against him as is done in civilized countries. The BJP government is using the CBI to crush political adversaries. Indira Gandhi also abused her power to crush political adversaries.