Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy booked for sedition over protest against I-T raids

Bengaluru, Nov 29: Police have booked former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy along with the then Bengaluru police commissioner T Sunil Kumar, his subordinates and some Congress and JD(S) leaders on sedition charges for protesting the income tax raids during Lok Sabha polls.

Based on a complaint by activist Mallikarjuna A, a city court recently directed the commercial street police to register a case under various sections of the IPC, including criminal conspiracy and attempting or abetting waging war against the Government of India.

The case relates to protests near the I-T office here by the leaders including the then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy against the Income Tax raids at the residence of Congress and JD(S) leaders.

The charges are that Kumaraswamy had informed public about the possible raids after getting inputs about the action.

Kumaraswamy had told the media on March 27 that there was every likelihood of raids as a large number of central security forces had arrived at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

His apprehensions came true the next day as the forces fanned out to different parts of the state. Later, a massive demonstration was conducted at the Income Tax office.

Other prominent people, who have been booked, include then deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, DK Shivakumar, Congress state chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, the then deputy commissioners of police Rahul Kumar, D Devaraju and all election officers.

Reacting to the sedition charges, DK Shivakumar said all the cases were politically motivated and he will fight it politically.

"We did not enter the income tax office. We stood 150 metres away and raised slogans," he added.