Bengaluru, September 4: Protests erupted in several parts of Karnataka with reports of violence coming from Kanakpura after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar in an alleged money laundering case on Tuesday. Protesters also blocked the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. Congress will observe "Karnataka Bandh" today to protest against DK Shivakumar's arrest. DK Shivakumar Arrested: Congress Leader's Supporter Weeps, Tears Off His Clothes; Watch Video.

"Hundreds of party cadres and supporters have condemned Shivakumar's arrest by the ED in the city, at Kanakapura, Ramanagara, Mandya, Mysuru and Hassan and held protest march against the ruling BJP in the state and the NDA government at the Centre," Congress's Karnataka spokesperson Ravi Gowda told IANS. Kanakpura is home tows of Shivakumar. Some vehicles, including a KSRTC bus, were vandalised by protesters. DK Shivakumar Arrested by ED: Congress Hits Out at BJP For 'High-Handed Tactics And Vendetta'.

However, it was not clear whether the vandalism was related to Shivakumar's arrest. "A vehicle and a bus were vandalised by protesters at Kanakapura, another vehicle's glass was damaged. We are monitoring the situation. We have directed divisional officers to take action of services' suspension based on the local situation," a spokesperson of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) told ANI.

Shivakumar, considered Congress's troubleshooter, was arrested by the ED on Tuesday evening after questioning for the fourth time. Prior to his arrest, Shivakumar was grilled for over 29 hours since August 27. During the questioning, according to ED officials, the Congress remained evasive about the source of the money recovered from his residence in Delhi and premises in Bengaluru in 2017 by the Income Tax Department.

Shivakumar was instrumental in keeping the Gujarat Congress MLAs from being poached in 2017 ahead of the Rajya Sabha election. He had arranged for their stay at a luxury resort in Karnataka. This helped senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel winning the seat with a narrow margin. Shivakumar also shepherd MLAs in Karnataka during the coalition government of the Janata Dal-Secular and the Congress and held talks with the rebel MLAs.

The Congress party termed Shivakumar's arrest "illegal" and said the Modi government is indulging in vendetta politics to deflect the public's attention from its "misdeeds".  "We strongly condemn the high-handed tactics and vendetta politics being deployed against Congress leaders. The arrest of DK Shivakumar is yet another attempt by the government to distract the public from their failed policies and the sorry state of the economy," the Congress tweeted.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 04, 2019 12:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).