Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday admitted that he and his brother, DK Suresh, donated Rs 25 lakh to the National Herald, the Congress-affiliated publication currently under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). DK Shivakumar clarified that the funds were from their trust and personal income, asserting that the donation was transparent and lawful. “I donated Rs 25 lakh to the National Herald. It is a newspaper run by our party. My brother and I have given money to the publication. We have also given donations from our trust. We have given our hard-earned money; there is nothing to conceal,” Shivakumar told the media.
The statement came shortly after the ED named DK Suresh and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in its chargesheet filed in connection with the National Herald case, which involves allegations of money laundering. The case already implicates top Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. On Wednesday, the ED presented its opening arguments before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju argued that a money laundering offence was established and highlighted ongoing criminal activity that generated proceeds of crime. The court has scheduled day-to-day hearings on the cognisance of ED’s complaint between July 2 and July 8.
In response to the developments, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) launched a scathing attack on the Congress, particularly targeting Telangana CM Revanth Reddy. Sharing screenshots of media reports on X, KTR accused the Congress of turning Telangana into an “ATM for Scamgress.“Telangana has become an ATM for Scamgress and it’s now corroborated by agencies,” KTR alleged. “As the ED charge sheets Telangana’s ‘Bag Man’ in the National Herald case, he is trying hard to distract people from his corrupt practices. The million-dollar question is whether the NDA government will act this time or pardon Revanth Reddy like in the Amrut Scam, RR Tax, and Civil Supplies scam.” The National Herald case remains a significant flashpoint in Indian politics, as the court prepares for crucial hearings in July.
