<div align="justify">Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday charged the Centre with targeting the Congress ministers and leaders in Karnataka by misusing the Income Tax department. “I-T raids on ministers and party leaders are politically motivated. The Centre is conspiring against the Congress government,” he told reporters, who sought his reaction on the I-T department conducting raids on the Congress ministers and leaders. He also sought to know why the raids were not done against the BJP leaders.<br /><br /> “Aren’t there any taxpayers in the BJP?...Or is it that I-T officials cannot see anything except the Congress leaders?” he asked. Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, whose residence was raided by the I-T department a few months ago, however, refused to reply to a query whether the Centre is misusing the I-T department, Enforcement Directorate and CBI. <br /><br />On the controversial diary reportedly seized by the I-T department from Congress MLC K Govindraj’s residence, he sought to know how the BJP leaders can access documents that are in possession of the I-T department. The BJP had charged that the diary has names of ministers, including Shivakumar, who paid huge donations to the Congress high command. “The I-T sleuths had served a notice on me on the diary issue. They asked me about my name in the diary and I replied to their queries. DKS may mean many things. There are 20 men named D K Shivakumar in my village alone,” he said.<br /><br /></div>
<div align="justify">Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday charged the Centre with targeting the Congress ministers and leaders in Karnataka by misusing the Income Tax department. “I-T raids on ministers and party leaders are politically motivated. The Centre is conspiring against the Congress government,” he told reporters, who sought his reaction on the I-T department conducting raids on the Congress ministers and leaders. He also sought to know why the raids were not done against the BJP leaders.<br /><br /> “Aren’t there any taxpayers in the BJP?...Or is it that I-T officials cannot see anything except the Congress leaders?” he asked. Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, whose residence was raided by the I-T department a few months ago, however, refused to reply to a query whether the Centre is misusing the I-T department, Enforcement Directorate and CBI. <br /><br />On the controversial diary reportedly seized by the I-T department from Congress MLC K Govindraj’s residence, he sought to know how the BJP leaders can access documents that are in possession of the I-T department. The BJP had charged that the diary has names of ministers, including Shivakumar, who paid huge donations to the Congress high command. “The I-T sleuths had served a notice on me on the diary issue. They asked me about my name in the diary and I replied to their queries. DKS may mean many things. There are 20 men named D K Shivakumar in my village alone,” he said.<br /><br /></div>
