Hitting out at the Modi Government over the Income Tax (I-T) raids against his senior minister, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged it was a politically motivated move to silence voices against the BJP, and vowed not to bow down to such “intimidation.”
The I-T Department conducted searches at multiple properties related to senior minister DK Shivakumar, who was overseeing the stay of 44 Congress MLAs from Gujarat at a resort near here, in connection with a tax evasion case.
I-T raids targeting energy minister DK Shivakumar is completely politically motivated and central government’s role behind it is well known. It is not right on the part of central government to use I-T department for its political conspiracies. We will not bow down to such intimidation.Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Chief Minister
Shivakumar, who hails from the powerful Vokkaliga community, has considerable influence in Bengaluru Rural and neighbouring Ramanagara districts. He is also the Congress’ propaganda committee chief ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls.
According to norms, during such raids, I-T officials should obtain help from local police, Siddaramaiah said, adding “by violating rules, CRPF staff were used”.
Shivakumar has been brought to his city residence for further inquiry by IT officials from the resort, where he was staying along with Gujarat Congress MLAs who have been camping here since Saturday last.
Congress Alleges IT Misuse, Government Denies
The Congress on Wednesday alleged political vendetta by the BJP-led NDA government in the I-T raids, as Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the raids were in no way linked to the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections or the 44 Congress MLAs housed in a resort in Bengaluru.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha soon after Zero Hour started, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the BJP-led NDA government out of political vendetta was using central agencies against opposition leaders.
“In Gujarat there is election for three Rajya Sabha seats. The Congress had 57 members and support of four others, but they (BJP) broke away five members,” Kharge alleged. “Now they are using the I-T department on our MLAs from Gujarat, who are in a resort in Karnataka. The Income Tax department is being used to threaten them as well as a Minister of Karnataka,” Kharge said, as members from the treasury benches raised their pitch in protest.
Jaitley said there was no raid on the Gujarat MLAs, and the Karnataka Minister who was being raided had gone to hide in the resort (Eagleton resort), due to which the I-T officials went there.
“It is a serious issue, but maybe he (Kharge) does not have complete information. I have got information from the Income Tax department, there was no raid on Gujarat MLAs in any resort,” Jaitley said.
“It is true that one Minister of Karnataka and his associates are being searched. The Minister being raided reached a resort. When there is a raid, the I-T officials have to record the person's statement, so they went to the resort,” Jaitley said.
He also said that the I-T officials “found the Minister destroying some papers”.
“There are raids on 39 other places, but there is no link with the Gujarat elections. It is only linked to an economic offence,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)
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