The Enforcement Directorate summoned senior party leader from Karnataka DK Shivakumar for questioning on Friday in a money laundering case. Responding to the summons as “malafide” the Congress leader said he will fully cooperate in the investigation.

The ED summoned the senior Karnataka MLA late on Thursday night to appear before it on Friday morning, but he informed the ED officials that he would be a bit late and appear before it by noon. The financial probe agency summoned Shivakumar hours after the Karnataka High Court declined to stay its earlier summons, delivered in December 2018.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru this morning Shivakumar said, “Please don’t take tension, I have not taken tension, there is no need to take tension. I have not committed any mistake. I have not committed any rape or taken money, there is nothing against me.”

He also added that he is being targeted by the central agency, “From the past two years, the entire property of my 84-year-old mother has been attached by various investigation authorities as benami property and I am the benami there. Our entire blood has already been sucked.”

Responding to the ED summons, Shivakumar in a series of tweets said: “Have received summons from ED late yesterday night at 9.40 p.m. asking me to appear at 1 p.m. in Delhi today.”

Have received summons from ED late yesterday night at 9.40 PM asking for me to appear at 1PM in Delhi today.

Although the sudden scheduling by ED is malafide, I believe in rule of law & will definitely participate & fully co-operate with them and abide by the law of our country.

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) August 30, 2019

“Although the sudden scheduling by the ED is malafide, I believe in the rule of law and will definitely participate and fully co-operate with them and abide by the law of our country,” he said.

Shivakumar further tweeted: “The IT raid on me was politically motivated for hosting Gujarat Congress MLAs. As a loyal soldier of Congress and a responsible politician, I did what the party asked me to do, for which I am being targeted. I have full faith in legal systems and will face this legally as well as politically.”

IT raid on me was politically motivated for hosting Gujarat Congress MLAs

As a loyal soldier of Congress & a responsible politician, I did what party asked me to do, for which I am being targeted

I have full faith in legal systems & will face this legally as well as politically

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) August 30, 2019

Shivakumar has been on the Income tax and ED radar since demonetisation in 2016. The alleged money laundering came to light after the tax department carried out searches on his premises in Bengaluru, Kanakapura and New Delhi on August 2, 2017, which led to the seizure of unaccounted cash worth Rs8.59 crore.

The central agency has been summoning several Opposition leaders lately. Recently, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was also arrested by the ED in the INX Media case. Chidambaram is currently under CBI custody till September 2. The agency had also summoned Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray last week in his alleged involvement in IL&FS case.