BENGALURU: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has sought the Election Commission’s immediate intervention to stop the Income Tax department raids on the JD(S) and Congress workers. “The raids continued on Friday on 68 locations in the state, including Hassan and Mandya, where we are contesting in the first phase of polling on April 18,” tweeted Kumaraswamy in Kannada.
“The IT officials raided rice and sugar mills run by Congress and JD(S) workers till 4 am on Saturday and put spy cameras on their premises,’’ he said on Saturday and accused the Centre of using Income Tax department to intimidate JDS-Congress workers ahead of elections. “A shameful attempt to threaten and generate fear among our workers. We request the Election Commission to immediately intervene and stop this harassment of our workers,” the CM said.
“Disguising themselves as railway officials, they (IT sleuths) borrowed vehicles and are now staying at Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru,’’ he said. CFTRI is an institute under the central government and not the state government.
On Thursday, the I-T department conducted raids on several locations of persons close to the JD(S) leaders in Mandya, Hassan, Shivamogga, Bengaluru and other cities. After the raids in Hassan, Shivamogga and other locations, the officials had issued notices contractors and officials. The CM and deputy CM G Parameshwara, former CM Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and other leaders had staged a protest outside the I-T department office in Bengaluru.
Rahul, Gowda rally in Bengaluru
Congress national president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) national president HD Deve Gowda will hold a joint rally on Sunday in Bengaluru. The joint rally is to send out a message that the coalition partners are united.
Can coalition halt BJP march?
Since 1996, Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency has turned into a stronghold of the BJP with six back-to-back victories. This time, the fight is between the BJP and Cong-JD(S) candidate.