The Gujarat Rajya Sabha contest took another dramatic turn on Wednesday with the Income-Tax Department carrying out raids on the premises of Karnataka Power Minister DK Shivakumar, who is playing host to 44 Gujarat Congress MlAs at the Eagleton Golf Resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
The Congress had moved these MlAs from Gujarat for fear of poaching by the BJP. Shivakumar was at the resort when the I-T officials raided his room there and took him away for questioning.
The early morning coordinated raids at more than 40 locations and properties in Bengaluru and Delhi by the I-T Department on one of the richest Ministers in the country has left the Congress fuming.
Congress’ Gujarat Rajya Sabha candidate Ahmed Patel took a strong objection to the timing of the raids.
Shivakumar, one of the most influential leaders in the Karnataka Congress, was in Singapore when the MlAs were brought to Bengaluru. He rushed back to the State to take charge of the situation. The Minister had also confirmed that he will be in charge of looking after the MlAs.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the I-T raids and called it a “political conspiracy” and “vendetta politics”.
Hitting out at the Modi Government, Siddaramaiah alleged it was a politically motivated action to silence the voice against the BJP and vowed not to bow down to such “intimidation”. He accused the Modi Government of using the I-T Department for its “political conspiracies”. In a statement, he said, “I-T raids targeting Energy Minister DK Shivakumar is completely politically motivated and Central Government’s role behind it is well known.”
He said, “It is not right on the part of the Central Government to use the I-T Department for its political conspiracies. We will not bow down to such intimidation.” He also took objection to the I-T Department using CRPF without informing the State Government.
Shivakumar, who hails from the powerful Vokkaliga community, has considerable influence in Bengaluru Rural and neighbouring Ramanagara districts. He is also the Congress’ propaganda committee chief ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls.
Officials privy to the action said the department is investigating Shivakumar in a case of alleged tax evasion and huge undisclosed investments in real estate and other sectors. Certain investments linked to him in Singapore and few other foreign locations are also under the scanner of the department, they said. Some shell firms and their operatives allegedly linked to this case are also being probed, they added.
According to the I-T Department sources, Shivakumar was at the resort when the search took place. They said the Minister was allegedly found “tearing” pages of some loose paper sheets, when the taxman came calling.
“The torn sheet, restored partially, is now being analysed,” an official said.
As the raids on the resort triggered angry reactions from the Congress, the I-T Department said the resort is not being raided. They said only the Minister’s room in the resort was “searched” and not of the MlAs from Gujarat.
“The search team has no concern with the MlAs and there has been no contact with the MlAs and the search team,” the department said in a statement.
I-T officials said a total of 39 premises of Shivakumar and his family are being raided by a team of about 120 officials with the help of Central paramilitary forces. The I-T Department further said the timing of the search was decided well in advance. “The events involving certain MlAs of another State being brought to Karnataka were unforeseen and unpredictable events,” it said.
“The search under Section 132 of the Income-Tax Act is an evidence gathering exercise which is being carried in compliance with all statutory requirements. The search is the continuation of an investigation which has been in progress for a considerable period of time,” the I-T Department said.
There were angry protests by the Congress workers against the raid in front of Shivakumar’s house in Bengaluru.