‘BJP is on witch-hunt’, Congress cries foul after IT raids against K’taka minister

The Congress on Wednesday strongly protested against the Income Tax (IT) raids at Karnataka energy minister DK Shivakumar's residences and resort housing Gujarat Congress MLAs in and around capital city, Bengaluru.

"After using state machinery and every other agency, these IT raids show ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) utter desperation and frustration," said senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel.

Patel added, "The BJP is on an unprecedented witch-hunt just to win one Rajya Sabha seat."

The entire tussle between the BJP and the Congress started over the Rajya Sabha seat which Patel is contesting from Gujarat. Patel is also a close-aide of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Rumours suggest that BJP president Amit Shah is trying his best to defeat Patel to further weaken Gandhi family's position in Indian politics.

After six Congress MLAs from Gujarat joined the BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, all the 40 other Congress MLAs from the state have been flown down to Bengaluru recently to avoid what the Congress says is "poaching". They are currently staying at Eagleton Golf resort, located in the suburb of Bengaluru, where IT sleuths conducted their raids too.

"Attempt was made to bribe legislators in Gujarat. When everything failed, a frustrated BJP government now resorting to IT raids on Congress," said Randeep Singh Surjewala, spokesperson of the Congress.

"The BJP has used every dirty and ugly trick to run a conspiracy to win Rajya Sabha seat in Gujarat," Sujrewala added.

Meanwhile, the Congress raised the issue of IT raids conducted against its leader in Bengaluru in the Rajya Sabha.

OneIndia News