From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jul 21: All the senior Congress leaders in the State, including KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar, former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Veerappa Moily, staged a massive protest against the Enforcement Directorate interrogation of Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Delhi, at the Freedom Park and were later taken into custody by the police in Bengaluru on Thursday, July 21 when they marched to Raj Bhavan in an attempt to lay siege.

Addressing the assembled crowd and Congress workers, Shivakumar asserted that Congress President Sonia Gandhi or her son and former party Chief Rahul Gandhi cannot be cowed down by ED, IT, CBI or BJP and said the Congress leaders or the party has done nothing wrong or illegal in the National Herald case and will come out unscathed.

He declared that the entire party will stand by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and instil confidence in them.

The KPCC Chief said the party remits funds contributed by the Congress workers. In the same way, the Congress party donated funds to National Herald to save it and pay the salaries of employees.

The complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy with the Election Commission has been rejected as baseless. The Income Tax Department has also said there was nothing wrong in the entire transaction. The former Finance Minister late Arun Jaitely had even informed Parliament that there was nothing irregular in the National Herald case. The ED is still harassing Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, which will not work, he said.

“If BJP thinks that everybody will join the party by threatening Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, they are mistaken and will be disappointed. It is nothing but your false belief. We are disciples of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Dr B R Ambedkar, Maulana Azad and other stalwarts, who fought for the country’s freedom,” he said and declared that the party will continue its fight against BJP until it is defeated.

Shivakumar said that the case against him was registered five years back. “It is three years since I went to jail. I still get love letters daily and I have replied that I should be given a break for one year. I have promised to appear after the assembly elections,’’ he said charging that he has been asked to appear for interrogation without filing a charge-sheet even now.

“They are harassing my supporters too and asking them to appear for interrogation without registering any case or filing a charge-sheet. This kind of fear tactics will not work,’’ he said pointing out that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also being harassed.