Gujarat Congress legislators provide 'proof' of IT raid at Bengaluru resort

Properties belonging to Karnataka Energy Minister D K Shivakumar and his kin were raided on Wednesday.

Who did the Income Tax department officials raid at a resort in Bengaluru on Wednesday morning? While the department maintains that raids were only against a Karnataka minister, Congress MLAs from Gujarat who are lodged in the resort have claimed that searches were conducted in their spaces as well.

Gujarat Congress spokesperson and MLA Shaktisinh Gohil shared a short video showing armed security forces personnel walking in the lobby of the resort. This, he claimed, was proof of raids at the resort where MLAs from Gujarat are taking 'shelter'.

"These are attempts to harass and threaten us. If IT officials were looking for D K Shivakumar, they could have asked him to come out. What does it mean when armed officials are walking across the resort? Our legislators are worried but our morale is not affected, if anything, our resolute has become stronger," Shaktisinh Gohil said

The MLA's allegations came even as the Income Tax department denied having anything to do with the legislators who were lodged in the resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The Income Tax department stated that Wednesday's raids were only against Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar without naming him.

"The search team has no concern with the MLAs and there has been no contact with the MLAs and the search team. It is again reiterated that the Income Tax search is only on one Karnataka Minister," a statement from the Income Tax department's investigations wing said.

Accusing the BJP of misusing central agencies, Gohil said that the Gujarat MLAs came to Bengaluru to save themselves but the BJP has started harassing them. "We will not be scared but my MLAs are also human beings. They have families and worry about their safety. Could the IT not have waited for three days? We would have returned to our state and they could have conducted raids," he said.

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