The simultaneous raids by the Income Tax Department across 39 locations connected to Karnataka Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar, in the wee hours of Wednesday, has created ruckus in both houses of the Parliament. The Congress Party dubbed it as a “witch-hunting” by a “desperate” BJP and accused the Centre of “misusing" authority and central agencies to “intimidate” the Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who are holed up in a Bengaluru resort under the supervision of Shivakumar, ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha elections.
The raids have triggered a political slugfest owing to its timing – ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, where Congress is trying to get Ahmed Patel, political secretary of party chief Sonia Gandhi, re-elected amid allegations of horsetrading and attempts to “poach” Congress MLAs by the ruling BJP.
The political drama shifted from Gujarat to Karnataka, after the 42 Congress MLAs from Gujarat landed in Eagleton resort in Bidadi, located in the Lok Sabha constituency of D.K. Suresh, brother of Shivakumar.
The dramatic raids were carried out at 6.30 am on Wednesday, when as many as 80 IT sleuths swooped down simultaneously on the residences of Shivakumar at Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru, Kanakapura, Mysuru (his in-laws' house), Delhi, and his offices at Infantry road and Chalukya Circle. The houses of his brother Suresh, personal assistant Anjaneya, personal astrologer (Dwarkanath), and close aide Balaji Subahsh and businesses including Davanam Jewellers, and Shobha Developers were also raided.
The IT officials picked up the minister who was staying at the resort, and seized several documents and later escorted him to his residence in Bengaluru for questioning. Soon after the news of the raids spread, Ahmed Patel tweeted: “BJP is on an unprecedented witch-hunting just to win one Rajya Sabha seat. After using state machinery and every other agency, these IT raids show their utter desperation and frustration.”
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit back at the Congress, in his reply to both houses, stating there was no need to link the raids to Gujarat RS polls. “The resort was not searched nor were the Gujarat MLAs disturbed. The minister had gone and parked himself at the resort and was picked up from there for questioning,” said Jaitley.
“Shivakumar was found tearing up some documents at the resort when the sleuths reached there. The same have been seized. Don't link it to Gujarat politics; it was a case of financial fraud,” said Jaitley.
Leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the elections to the Rajya Sabha should be held in a “free and fair manner” and alleged that Congress MLAs were being "kidnapped in Gujarat ahead of the elections. "This is against democracy," said Azad.
Even as the Congress leaders questioned the timing of the raids, the Karnataka Investigation wing of I-T, in a press release, confirmed that searches were being held in a case related to a state minister and claimed that the search was “in continuation of an investigation” which has been in progress for a considerable period of time.
“The minister was staying at a resort, where MLAs of another state are staying. But the minister's room alone was searched. The timing was decided well in advance and the MLAs of another state being brought to Karnataka were 'unforeseen' and 'unpredictable' events,” stated the I-T department.
“The search under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act is an evidence gathering exercise which is being carried in compliance with all statutory requirement.”
According to sources, the I-T sleuths also questioned the Eagleon resort management to know who was bearing the expenses of the Gujarat MLAs staying in the resort, where 57 rooms have been booked for the legislators.
Meanwhile, sources have revealed that huge stashes of cash were recovered from the Delhi residence of Shivakumar during the raids.
The Congress' Karnataka unit has firmly stood behind Shivakumar. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in a series of tweets condemned the Centre for use of para-military force during an I-T search. He also alleged political conspiracy by the BJP. “Investigation must always follow due procedure to unearth truth. Violating the rules exposes political motivation behind the raids. Using I-T department as a weapon of political vendetta, is a blatant misuse of power and goes against the principles of democracy and cooperative federalism. The Congress-run government in Karnataka will neither budge to such political blackmail nor stoop to vindictive politics,” tweeted Siddaramaiah, even as protests by party workers erupted in Bengaluru.
It may be recalled that the ruling Congress had also backed small scale industries minister Ramesh L. Jarkiholi and president of Karnataka State Mahila Congress president Lakshmi Hebbalkar last January, despite I-T raids revealing undisclosed transactions conducted in cooperative banks and unexplained cash worth Rs 162 crore.
Interestingly, the state Congress leaders have chosen to play the victim card, by claiming they had information that top ministers of Siddaramaiah's cabinet were the target. “I have information that the I-T is planning raids to target senior ministers like me, R.V. Deshpande, Dr HC Mahadevappa and K.J. George. It is politically motivated,” alleged water resources minister M.B. Patil.
