I-T sleuths raid Cong candidate's Badami resort

A team of Income Tax officials raided a private resort owned by Congress leader Anand Singh, in Badami late on Monday night.

It is said that the 10 officials who arrived by two vehicles searched the resort till Tuesday morning and seized Rs 11 lakh in cash. However, the seizure was not yet confirmed. Anand Singh is the former MLA from Vijayanagara constituency in Ballari district.

The resort has become a hub of political activities with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah contesting from Badami Assembly constituency. All the Congress leaders who come for campaigning, are staying in this resort. The chief minister too had camped here recently. Former Union minister C M Ibrahim and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Parasmal Jain were present at the resort during the raid.

Jain told reporters that the I-T officials seized Rs 5 lakh which he had with him for his expenses. “I told them that I have documents for the cash, but they did not listen me. This shows how the Centre is misusing the Income Tax department,” he said.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that the raids were being conducted at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah.

“I have no objection to the raids. But, such raids during elections are never heard of. No other government had done this earlier,” he said. Siddaramaiah alleged that the Centre had been misusing the Income Tax department to settle political scores.