Youth Congress cries foul against I-T raid on DKS

As the sleuths attached to Income Tax (I-T) Department continued with searches on the properties owned by Energy Minister D K Shivakumar and his relatives at several places in the state and also Delhi for the second day on Thursday, the District youth Congress workers staged a protest here.

They staged a protest at General Thimmaiah Circle here and raised slogans against the Central government. The raids are being carried ahead of the next general elections as BJP is expected to lose again. The Central government has been targeting Congress leaders through Income Tax Department, Youth Congress president Haneef Sampaje and general secretary Shafi Kottumudi alleged.

The duo also termed it as a hasty act on the part of the central government, which is in a dilemma over the development works being carried out by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led state Government.

The party workers charged that the Central government is playing several tricks with the ulterior motive of defeating Congress leader Ahmed Patel who is seeking re-election to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Such is the brazen attitude of saffron party leaders that they are ready with ‘Operation Kamala’ to lure Congress MLAs in Gujarat, they claimed.

Shivakumar, who played a key role in foiling the ploy of BJP president Amit Shah, by hosting 44 Gujarat MLAs at Eagleton Resort in Bidadi, is targetted by Income Tax Department raids only to instil fear, they charged.

Akhila Karnataka D K Shivakumar Abhimanigala Sangha and Kodagu District Congress Committee had also extended their support to the protest.

ZP member K P Chandrakala, Youth Congress district unit secretary Rejit Kumar Guhya, DKS Abhimanigala Sangha district  unit president Naveed Khan and other leaders took part in the protest.