Now, power cut 'Bhagya' for Mysureans

Even as the Income Tax sleuths were busy conducting raids on the premises of the relatives of Energy Minister D K Shivakumar in Mysuru on Wednesday and Thursday, the residents of the city were showered with a couple of ‘Bhagyas’, courtesy the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation and the cable network cartel.

Ever since the news of the raids was being relayed on news channels on Wednesday morning, residents in some areas complained about frequent power cuts and drop in cable TV signals for long durations on both days.

Lokesh, a resident of Sathagalli New Layout near Rajkumar Road, said that while cable TV was disrupted for long durations on Wednesday, it was the turn of power cuts on Thursday.

“People know that Shivakumar is a ‘powerful’ energy minister, but why are people being inconvenienced. We can live without watching television in case they want to block out  dissemination of news about him. But power cuts cannot be justified. It is a basic need,” he said.

Nagasundar, an auditor, said that play of politics is obvious in the raid because Shivakumar is a people’s representative. “But,  the ministers and former ministers in the Congress should know how the Income Tax department works. They are not new to power. Since, Independence, Congress has been in power for at least 50 years. They would be aware of the elaborate planning and the kind of secrecy behind every raid by the I-T department. The Gujarat MLAs episode started only last week. Considering the scale of planning with which the I-T sleuths conducted the raids simultaneously on nearly 40 locations, it is impossible that it could have been effected in a couple of days. Fortunately or unfortunately, the raids have coincided with the Gujarat MLAs’ episode,” he said.

‘Protests unwarranted’

Siddaraju Gowda, a BJP leader in Mandya, said that the protests by Congress party leaders and workers in the region was not necessary. “The Congress is overreacting. It has to be recalled that in July 2013, a raid was conducted by the I-T sleuths on the institutions of the Adichunchanagiri mutt immediately after seer Nirmalanandanatha Swami attended a RSS meeting. Then the government in the Centre was led by the Congress. It was suspected that the raid was to avenge the seer who had attended the RSS meeting. Devotees of the mutt hit the streets to protest against the I-T action. However, the seer pacified the people saying that there was no reason to feel offended. He said that let the officials verify the documents if the institutions have erred and we will accept the penalty,” Gowda recalled.

The raids have sounded a warning bell among politicians of all parties in the district and region. A JD(S) leader said that there is no logic in linking the Gujarat MLAs’ episode with the raid. “The Congress too had hijacked our MLAs during elections to the Rajya Sabha. It is common practice in politics. Congress is both the father and mother of all corrupt practices in politics. So, it is a hypocrisy to condemn the BJP now,” he said.

‘Strengthen ED’

“Surely, politicians of all parties are now feeling insecure. Most of the politicians are from humble backgrounds but now they are well off. Not just the I-T raids, a thorough investigation by the “Enforcement Directorate will reveal the illegal means in which they have amassed such wealth. Even if the politicians declare their assets and incomes by paying taxes, their means of amassing the  incomes would be dubious. So, there is a need to strengthen the ED, along with the I-T department to unearth the wealth amassed through illegal means,” he said.