Buses torched as Congress workers protest warrant against D K Shivakumar

Buses were torched and stones were pelted as hundreds of Congress workers took to the streets in Bangalore and different parts of Karnataka yesterday to protest the issue of non-bailable warrants against fourteen members of former Minister D K Shivakumar’s family in connection with the mining controversy.

Several buses belonging to state-owned Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) were stoned by irate Congress activists, who marched through the streets of Bangalore to register their protest against the JD (S)-BJP Government’s “vengeful” attitude towards political rivals.

Shivakumar’s stronghold of Kanakapura near Bangalore witnessed a large turnout of Congress workers, carrying placards and staging road blockades. The demonstration took a violent turn with protestors setting fire to three state-owned buses in Kanakapura.

The issue of non-bailable warrants to Shivakumar’s wife, brother, sister, besides eleven other relatives and employees of the mining company owned by the former Minister has given a new turn to the illegal mining controversy in Karnataka, which had come out in the open following bribery charges against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

The mobile squad of Karnataka’s Forest Department carried out a raid on the Iron Ore Company belonging to Shivakumar in Bellary district and registered a case of illegal storage of iron ore. Shivakumar’s family has been accused of illegally hoarding 276,000 metric tonnes of iron ore worth more than Rs 270 million.

Shivakumar’s company has also been charged with illegally exporting iron ore worth Rs 470 million.

In a press statement, Deputy Forest Conservator P Rajashekar said the illegal stock of iron ore had been confiscated and cases had been registered under Karnataka Forests Act and Indian Penal Code.

The records seized from the company indicated unauthorized mining and evasion of royalty to the Government, according to officials.

But, Shivakumar said his mining business was perfectly legal, but the ruling JD (S) had foisted false cases against his family members as part of the “vindictive” politics.

The Government’s move to issue non-bailable warrants against his family members was a “desperate” attempt on the party of the ruling JD (S) to “restrict” him from participating in the campaigning for the crucial by-elections in Chamundeshwari assembly constituency in the State, he said.

Ruling out the possibility of seeking bail for his family members, Shivakumar said he would wait for the officials to come and arrest his wife, sister and brother. “I will face the consequences”, he said.