Mangaluru: Responding to Congress leader D K Shivakumar’s summoning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), party leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah blamed the entire situation on political conspiracy of the Union Government. “The Union Government made the ED take action against D K Shivakumar. The Congress will launch a legal battle against their move,” he warned.

Siddaramaiah was in Mangaluru city to visit the flood-hit areas of the Dakshina Kannada district and to communicate with the flood-affected people on Saturday, August 31.

Speaking to the reporters after landing at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), he accused the Union Government of indulging in “vendetta politics” and of misusing government departments such as Income Tax (IT) and ED. “The Congress will remain silent and will launch a legal battle against the government’s move,” he said.

Responding to a query on the Centre’s decision to merge different banks Siddaramaiah said, “Now, the economy of our country is in a miserable condition. This is the result of too much interference by the Central Government in various departments. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has slipped much lower after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government assumed power in Centre.”

MLA and former minister U T Khader, MLC Ivan D’Souza, former MLAs Moideen Bava, Vijay Kumar Shetty and others were present.