The recovery made in IT raids on properties related to Karnataka Power Minister DK Shivakumar debunks the allegations of a political vendetta and ploy to reach out to the Gujarat MLAs holed up in the Eagleton Resort
The Congress party in Karnataka has tried to add political colour to the Income Tax (IT) raids on State’s Energy Minister DK Shivakumar. Shivakumar has been facing a number of allegations and an income tax raid was long overdue. However, the Congress party tried to add colour to the raid alleging that the Centre was trying to target it. The Karnataka Investigation Wing of the Income tax department began conducting searches at DK Shivakumar’s properties on August 2, 2017. The search under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act was an evidence gathering exercise which was 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.
Wealthiest Minister Though Congress party is making allegations of political vendetta over the raids by Income Tax department on as many as 39 locations owned by Karnataka Power Minister DK Shivakumar, the recovery made by the investigating officers tell a different story. |
When the search began, the IT department learnt that the minister was staying in Eagleton resort, on Benglauru-Mysuru road where the Gujarat MLAs have been camping. The IT sleuths had to then head to Eagleton resort in the guise of golfers. Then, they had to knock the doors of the room where Shivakumar was resting and then began questioning. However, the Congress party was quick enough to react saying that the IT raids were coinciding with the Gujarat MLAs camping in the city ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha elections.
Battle of ExistenceAhmed Patel, a long time close associate of the Gandhi family and believed to be the fund manager of the Congress Party is at the centre of this controversy. The Bengaluru raids by IT department became an issue of a political slugfest because the Congress is keeping its Gujarat MLAs in the Eagleton resort to save a Rajya Sabha seat for Patel from Gujarat. |
However, rubbishing the rumours, IT department clarified that 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. “The Minister being searched was staying at a resort near Bangaluru where some MLAs Gujarat are put up. Hence the Minister’s room alone is being searched. The search team has no concern with the MLAs and there has been no contact with MLAs and the search team,” an official clarified. The IT department also reiterated that the search is only on one Karnataka Minister.
The searches continued even on August 3, 2017 and there were reports that the department had seized a huge amount of cash and details of benami transactions. Though the exact details were yet to be ascertained the raids were still going on even on August 3 evening. There were also reports that the minister was not cooperating well enough and refused to answer to the IT department sleuths questions saying that he didn”t know much and only his lawyer and chartered accountant would answer. There were also unverified reports that the minister had torn pieces of papers in a bid to evade them from the sleuths and he also refused to open secret lockers. Meanwhile, on August 3 IT Department started raiding the house of Karnataka Power Minister DK Shivakumar”s house in the Safdarjung area in Delhi. Earlier on August 3, 2017 morning, the IT department raided the house of the minister’s father-in-law in Bengaluru.
Refuting Congress claims, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said “This raid should not be linked with any Gujarat poll; this is on a purely economic offence.”
Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on August 3 said that the raid at State’s Power Minister DK Shivakumar”s residence should not be linked with Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat. Yeddyurappa said that Shivakumar is a rich man and is in politics since many years, while adding that one should not prognosticate before the inquiry in the case ends. “Alleging political vendetta is not correct. The searches are still on. It is too early to say anything. Let us wait for inquiry to get completed,” said Yeddyurappa. “Everybody knows that DK Shivakumar is a rich man and is in politics from so many years. These raids should not be linked with Rajya Sabha polls,” he added. Further slamming the uproar created by the Congress party in the Parliament over IT raids, Yeddyurappa said that the BJP never instigated such unwarranted discussions in the Parliament. “It is very unfortunate that the Congress party is protesting against it in the Parliament. Such things never happened when the Congress was in power and we were in Opposition. Even my house was raided but I kept quiet and cooperated,” he added.
–Guruprasad.R
