Surjewala blames BJP for arrest of Vinay Kulkarni by CBI

Bengaluru: The AICC Karnataka in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday slammed the BJP over the arrest of former State minister Vinay Kulkarni by the CBI in connection with a murder case, saying the party was 'misusing' central agencies to 'hound' Congress leaders.

Kulkarni was arrested by the central agency in Dharwad on Thursday for the murder of former Zilla Panchayat member Yogeeshgouda Goudar in 2016.

The AICC general secretary took to Twitter to charge the BJP with using CBI against Congress leader Kulkarni.

"Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni's arrest by the 'puppet CBI' reflects the blatant conspiracy & malicious intent of CM, Yediyurappa & BJP leadership," Surjewala tweeted.

Yediyurappa should know that Congress leaders will not be cowed down by such cowardly attacks of BJP and its pawn, the CBI, he added. He accused the Centre of 'misusing' central agencies to 'hound' the Congress leaders. "A fledgling Yediyurappa Govt & BJP misuses its frontal organizations, the CBI-ED-Income Tax to hound Congress leaders- Sh.D.K.Shivakumar, Sh.G. Parameshwara, Sh. Vinay Kulkarni & many others," Surjewala tweeted.

He reminded the BJP that his party's resolve to fight for people only becomes stronger "by such malice".

Kulkarni was arrested in connection with the murder of Yogeeshgouda, a BJP zila panchayat member, who was killed in his gym on June 15, 2016 by unidentified men.

Kulkarni was mines and geology minister in the Siddaramaiah led Congress government when the incident took place.