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Updated: Jul 14, 2020 22:46 IST

Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar, in an interview with Hindustan Times, spoke about his incarceration in connection with a money laundering case, the outcome of state elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, and his likely future role in the grand old party. Shivakumar was released on bail on October 23 after being arrested on September 3. Edited excerpts:

You are out of jail after two months and you have maintained that this is vendetta politics...

See, one who doesn’t go against his conscience will have to face difficult consequences. I knew this, (I knew) what was going on, so I was mentally ready. Ultimately, our conscience dictates what we do. A lot of the party’s cadre and leaders have expressed confidence in me. I don’t want to betray anyone, and I had to face it. As a politically important functionary, I thought that this hour of crisis had to be brazened out. I know it is a tough time for my family, friends, and partymen. But one thing that all of them know is that I have not done any wrong. I am not involved in any corruption or criminal activities. This is politics and sometimes someone has to take a beating. I had to take it.

There was a widely publicised picture of you in tears after you could not do some religious rites for your deceased father. Your family was also called for questioning. They perhaps will be called for questioning again next week.

It is unfortunate. I never treated my daughter as a daughter, I treated her as a son. I groomed her well, and she was bold enough to face the officials. She also knew I had not done any mischief, she knew of the transactions. It is my bound duty as a father to see that she is raised as an educated, young woman. There was a lot of difference of opinion between my legal team; legal luminaries and even friends preferred me not sending her. But ultimately, I decided that we have to respect the law as we are the law-makers.

My mother’s situation, on the other hand, is very difficult; she’s very old and can not travel. After I and all my family business were being targeted, and I was taken into custody, she was not in a position to travel. Her health condition was deteriorating. I don’t know why she’s been involved in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. There’s a section in the Act (which says that) if your familial wealth has been attached as a benami property, they declare that a son is a benami also. In Hindu society, a father doesn’t question, and a son doesn’t question his father … forget others … it is a strange law they are trying to impose. The Enforcement Directorate has come to Bengaluru from July 1, and asked me a lot of questions. I am true to my conscience, and my papers were white. I will answer all these questions.

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In this round of state elections, the Congress has fared better than expected, whether in Maharashtra or in Haryana, What does it mean for the party?

It is not the Congress alone, it is the people of this country who wanted a strong Opposition. Some of the issues they (the Bharatiya Janata Party) staged, they thought it will last, and ultimately the people of this country decided ‘we have to give a strong Opposition.’ Any party exists with a strong Opposition; the people decided that they want the Congress party. In the Congress, some of our local leaders put in a lot of efforts. But in Maharashtra, some of the leaders at the helm of affairs did not take up work at the right time. All these things are small, but we thank the people of the country. There is a message there: Something is going wrong, the development of the country is under question, and the youth is being affected.

Since you’ve said that the Maharashtra leadership could have done more, do you think that there is a bit of a flux inside the Congress?

I do not want to debate on issues created by the media, and in an appropriate forum, I will have my own views.

Since I am a cadre man, which is the root of any political party, if one were to say anything, it is this: The voice of the Congressman should be the voice of the Congress at the national level. This is what has to be worked.

Is there space inside the Congress for regional leaders to play a bigger role?

They are giving us roles, but regional leaders (like me) are not utilising these roles. Those who have enjoyed power need to be accountable, too. We cannot put our strength behind Madam (Sonia Gandhi) and Rahul ji {Rahul Gandhi}. After all, they are human beings, how much can they work?. I have seen in Karnataka. Rahul ji spent over 3-4 months there. He has tirelessly gone from state to state -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat. This is not just a month-long job. Everyone, be it MLA or MP or a minister, some of whom have been in power for 30-40 years, should take up the responsibility, they should not just back out tomorrow. It is not only me, it is everyone who has enjoyed power. All of us big leaders, we should contribute to the strength of the party. Then only will the party survive.

The Karnataka by-polls are in the offing. Is that what you are going to take up next?

I don’t know anything, I’m waiting for proper information about the by-polls. I used to get some national papers in jail, not much on Karnataka. It was just for a few minutes that I met (Karnataka in-charge) KC Venugopal. I will have to go there, meet the president, party workers, and other leaders. What have they decided, I have to discuss with them. I will try to help them out with what best I can do. But at the same time, I have to look at all my legal aspects, I’m just out on bail. I have to look at all things.

You met Congress general secretary in-charge of the organisation, KC Venugopal, on Thursday and then Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. There has always been speculation that a role at All India Congress Committee could be what you take up next.

They had offered me {such a role} long back also, I believe in my leadership. Whether a party position is there or not, the trust that the cadre and the leadership has put on me is very much important to me. I am not worried about the leadership or an important position; a position comes and it goes. We are a part of the system, so whatever my party tells me, I will do. There are a lot of people across the country who have shown their love to me these last two months. People had hit the streets, crying, weeping, praying; for all of these, I want God to give me the strength to help them and see that their aspirations are fulfilled. The confidence they have put on me, I should try to repay my gratitude to them.

Are you saying that if there’s an option between a role at AICC and Karnataka, you’d like to stay in Karnataka?

I leave that to my party, I will not go and ask, and have never done that ever; I leave it to them. A position is not important for me.