Taxmen raid Congress functionary in RR Nagar

Income tax officials raided the house of a Congress functionary in Rajarajeshwari Nagar on Sunday evening, hours before the Assembly constituency goes to poll.

A team of officials entered the house of Ravi Gowda, the president of Rajarajeshwari Nagar block Congress, near BDA Complex in Nagarabhavi around 4 pm and searched it till 8.30 pm. They pored over some documents and looked for his bank account details.

Local parliamentarian and Congress leader D K Suresh addressed a late-night media conference to condemn the raid. He accused the BJP-led Union government of using the income tax department as a “puppet” and said the raid was aimed at marring the reputation of the Congress party a day before the polling. He suggested that the BJP had been “trying hard to “postpone” the RR Nagar poll.

Suresh denied rumours that crores of rupees in cash were seized from the house and said all the necessary documents had been submitted.

When asked about the JD)S) allegations against the Congress candidate, Munirathna, he said: “We have joined hands with the JD(S) to form the government. We have not tied up to contest this election.”

Gowda, for his part, said the raid began around 3.30 pm and that no money was recovered. The Congress’ press conference just hours before the polling prompted the BJP to file a complaint with the Election Commission. The complaint was filed by the party’s state office secretary, Ganesh Yaji.