ED raids are BJP's 'standard practice', say Karnataka ministers

Chikkaballapur/Koppal/Tumakuru: Congress leaders have reacted with indignation and anger to the raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the residences of former minister B Nagendra and other functionaries. 

Minister for Higher Education Dr M C Sudhakar, interacting with reporters in Chikkaballapur on Wednesday, questioned the need for ED to raid Nagendra’s residence when the government had ordered a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation scam, in connection with which the latter had also resigned from the state cabinet.

Reminding the BJP of the misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 80 crore in the alleged PSI recruitment scam, Sudhakar questioned the ED’s inaction when that came to light.  

Expressing no surprise at the raids carried out by the ED, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge, while interacting with reporters in Tumakuru, said that the only reason there had been a delay in the raids being carried out was the reduced strength of the Narendra Modi-led government in the Lok Sabha.  

It was at Nagendra’s behest that the SIT was constituted and he had also resigned from the cabinet and is cooperating with the investigating team, Priyank added. 

‘Right out of BJP’s playbook’  

“Although I have not received any direct communication about the raids by the ED on ministers, it is not surprising given that it is an old trick of the BJP to deploy central agencies against political rivals,” said Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Madhu Bangarappa at Kamalapur in Kukanur taluk of Koppal district.