Cong approaches EC seeking safety, security of its Guj MLAs

As Income Tax Department officials carried out raids on Karnataka Energy Minister D K Shivakumar's premises, Congress on Wednesday claimed that the BJP had declared a war against it which would be fought in every constitutional forum.

Congress also accused the Modi government of dispatching CRPF officers to “intimidate and coerce” its MLAs from Gujarat who have been tucked away at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru to prevent defections to the BJP. Its leaders approached the Election Commission seeking safety and security of its MLAs.

“BJP is on an unprecedented witch-hunt just to win one Rajya Sabha seat,” senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said on Twitter. Patel is the political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

“After using the state machinery and every other agency, these I-T raids show their utter desperation & frustration,” said Patel, whose re-election to the Rajya Sabha appeared to be in jeopardy as six Congress legislators crossed over to the BJP amid reports that much more were planning to quit the party.

In a memorandum to the Election Commission, Congress leaders voiced apprehensions that the Gujarat Police or Central probe agencies might file false cases and arrest the MLAs to prevent them from voting in the August 8 elections to the Rajya Sabha.

“...we implore the Election Commission to immediately issue appropriate directions to ensure that the safety and security of MLAs is not jeopardised and their liberties are protected to enable them to effectively cast their votes on 08.08.2017,” Congress leaders Kapil Sibal, Rajiv Shukla, Manish Tewari and Randeep Surjewala said in a memorandum to the Election Commission.

“We will challenge the anti-Constitutional actions before the Election Commission and the Supreme Court not once, or twice but again and again,” Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, said.

Congress also questioned the timing of the raid rejecting the Income Tax Department’s clarification that the Gujarat MLAs were not the subject of investigation.

“The time of the raids is deliberate. They want to defeat the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha election at any cost,” Kharge said.

Patel is seeking a fifth term as Rajya Sabha member and the Congress believes that the BJP is trying to embarrass the senior leader by pulling out all stops to ensure his defeat in what otherwise would have been an easy election.

An electoral loss could affect the morale of Congress workers ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections expected to be held in November-December. The Congress has been out of power in Gujarat since 1995.