Bengaluru, 14 June

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday rubbished reports that the government is under pressure from "influential people" to favour Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who has been arrested in connection with a murder case.

He also refuted BJP's allegations against the Congress government of indulging in "hate politics", following the arrest warrant against its leader and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in a POCSO case.

"There is no pressure from anyone.....neither our Home Minister or anyone else is involved (interfering) in it (investigation), we are not recommending anything, we don't know anything," Shivakumar said in response to a question that some influential people are exerting pressure on the government in the Darshan case.

His statement comes in the wake of some reports about a state minister's alleged efforts to "shield" Darshan.

Regarding allegations that "royal treatment" was being given to Darshan at the police station where he is held and pandals were erected there to maintain "secrecy", Shivakumar said: "I inquired with the police. There are 13 accused there (at the police station), as you (media) stand with your cameras there from morning till evening, they (police) need an opportunity to work freely, so they have put (erected a pandal) there."

Darshan, popularly known as "Challenging Star", and his associates were arrested on Tuesday for the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor. Renukaswamy, a resident of district headquarters town of Chitradurga, allegedly commented on the social media account of Pavithra Gowda, a friend of Darshan and small-time actress, accusing her of creating a rift between the actor and his wife. He also allegedly used "indecent language" and posted offensive messages, according to police sources.

On BJP alleging "hate politics", with respect to a case and arrest warrant against Yediyurappa, Shivakumar questioned about the saffron party's case against its leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with which he had to appear before a court here recently.

"I have not gone into details about it (case). The Congress party doesn't hate anyone. If I speak about hate politics it will go somewhere else, so I don't want to speak...I feel pity (for Yediyurappa), because I too have suffered from it. I know the pain," he said.

Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act and Section 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting on February two this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony here.

"Case against Rahul Gandhi (filed by BJP) is what kind of politics" he asked. " It is the BJP that is doing hate politics. Did Rahul Gandhi give the advertisement? Is Rahul Gandhi AICC or KPCC President? He did not give any advertisement. It was given by our KPCC, based on Yatnal (BJP MLA) statement which appeared in newspapers. Didn't the BJP file a case against us? Didn't we go to court? What is it called? Didn't Vijayendra (state BJP chief) have commonsense for filing a case?".

Rahul Gandhi had appeared before a special court here on June 7 in connection with a defamation case filed by the Karnataka BJP for issuing "defamatory" advertisements in mainstream newspapers. The advertisement ahead of Assembly polls last year had accused the then BJP government in the state of indulging in large-scale corruption during its 2019-2023 rule. On 1 June, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar too had appeared before the court, in connection with the case.