BENGALURU: Charging the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government with misusing autonomous bodies to threaten the opposition, the Congress on Tuesday declared that with elections nearing, the BJP will definitely misuse Income Tax, ED and CBI officials.
“There are already thousands of instances of Income Tax and ED officials targeting Congress candidates, those working for the Congress, and also people who are sympathetic to the party. These officers are threatening our party men. Is it not a clear abuse of power?’’ Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, and party general secretary Randeep Surjewala said.
Addressing a hastily-called press meet in the middle of a Central Election Committee meeting in New Delhi, they said, “We strongly condemn this move of the BJP government which has misused autonomous bodies. We will fight the dirty politics of the BJP.’’
Congress sources said during the 2018 assembly elections and 2019 parliamentary elections, the Congress party was subject to more than 60 raids and search-and-survey operations.
“The BJP is afraid of defeat in Karnataka because opinion polls say the Congress will get a majority. Many sitting MLAs, MLCs, corporators, and corporation board presidents have resigned from the BJP and joined Congress."
"They are not fools, they know they will lose the next polls if they continue in the BJP,’’ Shivakumar said. Even the BJP high command knows the party is sinking in Karnataka, and will not come to power. Their politics of hate and Hindutva will not work, and the only option left for them is to misuse agencies like ED, IT and CBI, he said.