Karnataka CM dubs IT raids 'politically motivated move'

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on 4 August said that IT raid on state Power Minister D.K. Shivkumar is a politically motivated move.

Raising question over the intention of the Central Government, the Chief Minister said "such things don't happen in a federal structure".

"This is a politically motivated raid, the timing shows that. I am not against any raid anywhere. The time that they have selected and the intention of the government is not right. This is the first time IT people have brought the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel to conduct raid," Siddaramiah told media.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Power Minister Shivkumar's brother, Suresh Kumar, said that the Rs. 10 crore recovered during the raids by the income tax does not belong to the minister.

"The IT department raided a total of 70 places from where they have collectively seized Rs. 10 crore. The whole amount does not belong to D.K. Shivkumar and his family," said Suresh Kumar.

Alleging political vendetta Suresh said, "Our party and all senior leaders are extending support. We have received messages from Congress president and vice-president lending support and promising they will stand by our side irrespective of the consequences. They have told us to fight it out, as this is nothing but political vendetta."

Meanwhile, the IT department continues to conduct raid at Shivakumar's house in the Safdarjung area in Delhi.

The IT department yesterday also raided the house of the minister's father-in-law in Bengaluru.

The IT department on Wednesday had raided Shivakumar's residence and at a private resort in Bengaluru, where Congress' MLAs from Gujarat are staying.

In the wake of incessant raids the Congress created ruckus in both the Houses of Parliament and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP)-led Central Government was indulging in political witch-hunt just to defeat Congress candidate Ahmed Patel in Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat.

The IT department also maintained that its raid at Shivkumar's residence and resort has nothing to do with the Gujarat's Congress MLAs. 

-ANI