Bengaluru, Aug 29 (IANS): Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday welcomed the Karnataka High Court dismissing the petitions filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in the disproportionate assets case, saying "justice had been granted to him" and it was not only a victory for him but for the Congress-led state government as well as the people.

"As I believed, justice and protection have been granted to me by the court. This victory is not just for me but for the government and the people of the state. I extend my congratulations to those who argued on my behalf and to the government," he said while addressing the media after the court verdict.

The High Court granted temporary relief to Shivakumar by quashing the CBI's plea seeking to continue the probe against the leader in connection with the disproportionate assets case, and suggesting that the agency can move the Supreme Court as it would be more appropriate for the apex court to decide the matter.

Shivakumar, maintained: "The High Court has affirmed that the government's decision is correct. The CBI can either leave the matter here or appeal to the Supreme Court. If I had been wronged, I would have approached the Supreme Court. The recent decision by the court in West Bengal has also been mentioned. I have faith in the judiciary. We don't need to deceive anyone, and we haven't done so. The law has provided me with protection."

"We have worked hard to establish our political careers. The BJP government has continuously tried to tarnish our image. There are thousands of cases across the country. The government has the authority to investigate any case. The previous BJP government could have handed over the case against me to the Lokayukta for investigation. Until now, no disproportionate assets case has been handed over to the CBI. But the former CM B.S. Yediyurappa's government handed over the case against me to the CBI. The reason behind this is known to all of you," he said.

Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, recalled that a PMLA case was also filed against him and he was even sent to jail. "I have seen jail, and even then, I believed that justice would prevail. The ED case related to this was also dismissed. I had argued that I had not done anything wrong, and I maintain that stance today. This victory belongs more to the government of Karnataka than to me. Our Chief Minister made the right decision in transferring the case from the CBI to the Lokayukta. The Lokayukta is now investigating, and they have summoned me and conducted an inquiry. I have submitted all the necessary documents," he said.

"Meanwhile, the CBI argued that they should continue the investigation. The CBI claimed that 90 per cent of the investigation was complete. How can they say that half the investigation is complete without even questioning me? I have submitted the documents in response to their notice. I know exactly how much property I own, and we have provided the relevant documents. These documents cannot be altered. However, if the intention is to create trouble, it can be done. Meanwhile, another leader had filed a petition related to this matter. I have filed a defamation case against him for making false statements about my case," he added.

Asked about an appeal to the Supreme Court, Shivakumar said: "I have no objection to that. But what is BJP MLA Yatnal's connection to this case? In my opinion, the CBI also has no connection. The CBI is just like a police station. The CBI is not a government; these are government matters."

Asked if he views this as relief or another struggle, he said: "There will always be conspiracies against me until my last breath. My fight against this will continue. My friends will continue to create trouble for me until the end. We must face this and continue the struggle."

To a query if he knew the leaders behind BJP MLA Yatnal, he said: "Let them be whoever they are."

Asked if legal battles are being used to confront him and the CM politically, Shivakumar responded: "Absolutely. What fault is there in the CM’s case? Has he signed anything during his tenure? This is being done to mentally weaken him. But I will not be mentally weakened. I wasn’t intimidated even when I was in Tihar Jail. I wasn’t then, I’m not now, and I won’t be in the future. Even though I knew the verdict would be announced today at 4.30 pm, I wasn’t worried. I believed that justice would be done. The government did not withdraw the investigation; it only transferred it to another agency. The government has made this decision after collecting multiple legal opinions."