Complainant in ED case has relations with Congress, but is a BJP voter: Jarkiholi
The Minister says the ED had only expressed suspicions and made allegations, which he will contest and fight legally with facts and documents
Karnataka Public Works Minister Sathish Jarkiholi, who recently faced raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), revealed on Saturday that he knew the identity of the person who lodged a complaint against him. Surprisingly, he stated the complainant had a relationship with the Congress party, but also voted for the BJP. Jarkiholi suggested that it was difficult to determine the motive behind the ED raids, as they could stem from internal struggles within the Congress or be driven by the BJP.
The BJP swiftly took advantage of Jarkiholi's comments and argued that they indicated internal turmoil within the Congress party, implying that there was no involvement from the BJP. The party's state president, B.Y. Vijayendra, claimed that Jarkiholi's open aspiration to become Chief Minister made him a target of someone trying to eliminate him from the competition within his own party.
R. Ashok, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, demanded that Jarkiholi disclose the name of the Congress leader who betrayed him. Jarkiholi acknowledged that the ED had only made suspicions and allegations, which he would contest through legal means using facts and documents. He maintained that the investigation was just beginning, and the ED had accused the Jarkiholi family of making significant offshore investments, while the family claimed they were in the process of making those investments and awaiting relevant permissions.
The ED had stated that the Jarkiholi family had invested in three mining companies in Congo and Zambia, including a gold mining firm in Congo, violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999. However, the ED also claimed they had raided a private firm, Bharat Vanijya Eastern Private Ltd (BVEPL), over allegations of bribes paid in connection with a PWD tender, which allegedly benefited the Jarkiholi family.
Despite the corruption allegations, Jarkiholi did not address them, emphasizing that they had not made the offshore investments yet.
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