Income Tax Officials Raid Karnataka Minister's Residence, HD Kumaraswamy Calls It PM Narendra Modi's 'Real Surgical Strike'
The chief minister said PM Modi was misusing the Income-Tax Department to threaten political leaders of the ruling JD-S and Congress in Karnataka.
Bengaluru, March 28: A few hours after Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said 300 Income Tax officials were on their way to carry out 'politically motivated' raids on Janata Dal-Secular leaders, the I-T department conducted raids at several places in the state. Levelling serious charges against Karnataka-Goa I-T commissioner Balakrishnan, Kumaraswamy said raids were 'real surgical strike' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"PM @narendramodi's real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harrass opponents during election time (sic)," Kumaraswamy tweeted. The chief minister said PM Modi was misusing the Income-Tax Department to threaten political leaders of the ruling JD-S and Congress in Karnataka. Kumaraswamy Accuses Central Government of Vengeance Politics, Say ‘300 Income Tax Officials to Carry Out I-T Raids in Bengaluru’.
"The Income-Tax Department raids on some businessmen and our important political leaders in the state is revenge politics by the Modi government. I will not be cowed down," Kumaraswamy told reporters. According to reports, I-T officials are conducting raids at the Chinnakurli residence of Janata Dal (Secular) leader and Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya.
HD Kumaraswamy's tweet on I-T raids:
Currently, raids are underway at multiple locations in Bengaluru, Hassan, Mandya and, Mysuru, sources told news agency ANI. Raids are also taking place at locations of 17 contractors and seven officers from the Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation Department. JD-S supremo HD Deve Gowda's grandsons Prajwal Revanna and Nikhil Kumaraswamy are contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Hassan and Mandya.
JD(S) leader Madhu Bangarappa claimed that the BJP is trying to 'play political games' ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. "The Chief Minister of Karnataka has already cleared why raids are taking place as he got inputs from the intelligence department. The BJP is trying to play political games before elections. Why are there no raids at BJP leaders’ houses? IT raids are common but I am questioning their timing," he told ANI.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 28, 2019 12:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).