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Union minister Pralhad Joshi linked the ED’s allegations against Karnataka’s Home Minister G Parameshwara to internal Congress factionalism. He noted Congress members are complaining to the ED.
Bengaluru:
Union minister Pralhad Joshi has weighed in on the huge row over Enforcement Directorate’s allegations linking gold smuggling accused Ranya Rao and the Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara, claiming that it is the fallout of a factional fight within the state Congress.
“The Congress’s own complained to the Enforcement Directorate,” the minster claimed.
“Who is writing letters to the Enforcement Directorate to take action?” Mr Joshi said.
“A faction within the Congress is sending information against Parameshwar and now doing drama. Let me say this clearly, we respect Parameshwara. He is a decent politician. But there are people within the Congress who are sending complaints. Siddaramaiah knows. The intelligece is under him. Ask him. Now he is doing drama,’ he added.
The ED, he said, will act when they get information, “Not because he is a home minister or a Congress leader.
The political row in Karnataka snowballed after the Enforcement Directorate raided educational institutions linked to the Karnataka Home Minister in connection with the gold smuggling case.
The central agency, which is investigating the money laundering angle in the smuggling case, claimed they have found that an education trust had diverted funds and made a payment of Rs 40 lakh towards the credit card bill of Ranya Rao, allegedly on the instructions of an influential individual.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who met the home minister today, explained the payment was a wedding gift to Ranya Rao.
“I just spoke to Parameshwara, there was a marriage (ceremony), we are in public life, we run institutions. As a gesture to people we know, we give lots of gifts, we give Re 1, Rs 10, Rs 10 lakh, Rs 5 lakh. I think he might have also given a gift. It was a marriage, nothing wrong in it,” he said.
Asked about Mr Shivakumar’s remark, Mr Parameshwara said, “You ask DK Shivakumar.” Asked if he would cooperate with the investigation, he replied, “Of course.”
The Congress has claimed that the state’s opposition BJP is politicizing the gold smuggling case to target the ruling party.
