Income tax officials are only doing their job: Karnataka opposition leader BS Yeddyurappa

BENGALURU: On Thursday, the coalition government was out on the streets - Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Deputy CM G Parameshwara, former CM Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and others — protesting outside the Income Tax office, calling the officials BJP agents and the raids politically motivated. BJP state party president and opposition leader BS Yeddyurappa, in an interview, said they are making an issue out of a non-issue.

The Congress and JD(S) protested against the Income Tax department, and called Commissioner B R Balakrishna a BJP agent. What do you say?

Congress and JD(S) are making an issue out of a non-issue. I-T officials are doing their job and these parties are making a noise. They should know they are trying to subvert the Constitution by protesting against constitutional bodies.

The IT department has never come out in support of anyone, only Balakrishna defended you in the diary case...

IT department officials pointed out that the diary contents released by the Congress were false, as the Congress spokesperson and other leaders said the diary was with the IT department. They wanted to come clean on the issue. 

Tejaswini Ananth Kumar’s name was dropped from the list of BJP candidates, despite your recommendation. Are they undermining your leadership?

Nothing like that. The high command selected a new face for Bangalore South, and 27 of the 28 candidates were candidates recommended by the state BJP.

What is your expectation of the Speaker’s decision on Umesh Jadhav and the delay?

We have full faith in Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s wisdom on the law, and he will take an appropriate decision on the matter.