No cash seized, says brother

Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, on Thursday claimed the Income Tax department had not seized any cash from the home and office of his brother and minister D K Shivakumar after the raids on Wednesday. He described the raids as “an attempt to weaken the Congress” ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections.

“No cash was seized from Shivakumar’s home and office. Such lies were peddled to tarnish the image of my brother and the Congress party,” Suresh told DH. “All the money is accounted for. In fact, Shivakumar paid Rs 4-5 crore in taxes last year. The money supposedly found in the homes of his friends and others is not ours,” he asserted.

Income Tax  authorities raided as many as 60 locations linked to Shivakumar, including Suresh’s residences in Bengaluru and New Delhi. “I-T authorities found Rs 23 lakh in cash in my Delhi home and I’m ready to explain it. We have nothing to hide,” he said.

The Income Tax raids have not dented the party’s image either, Suresh said.

“The raids are a testimony to the cheap tricks of the BJP. Our party will give the BJP a fitting reply,” he said.