BJP tried to 'harass' my family for 4 days: Kuldeep

Congress legislator in Haryana Kuldeep Bishnoi on Saturday criticised the BJP for trying to "harass" him and his family, saying he does not fear the ruling party, after the Income Tax department searched his properties for four days.

Bishnoi, the son of former Haryana chief minister late Bhajan Lal, said the raids reflected the "close mind" of the BJP.

IT department sleuths had simultaneously raided Bishnoi's properties in his assembly constituency Adampur and Gurgaon, Delhi and Hisar on Tuesday. The search at the Adampur property concluded earlier than others. The sleuths, looking for documents and evidence in connection with a tax-evasion probe linked to Bishnoi, returned to Delhi on Friday afternoon.

"The way the BJP tried to harass me and my family with political hatred for four days, it reflects its close mind. Even my aged and sick mother was not spared. I have always lived a life of honesty and principles. Neither I feared the BJP nor I will," Bishnoi tweeted in Hindi.

He also thanked his supporters for their concern over the searches.

Bhavya, Kuldeep Bishnoi's son who unsuccessfully contested 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Hisar, said he turned "stronger" after the raids.

"10 inspectors, 146 questions, 89 hours later... ... BETTER and STRONGER. A big thank you to all those who sent their love, blessings & good vibes," tweeted Bhavya.

He accompanied IT sleuths to Delhi.

In another tweet, he said, "They can push us against the wall. They can beat us to the ground. They can strangle us politically and economically. But they can never extinguish our knowledge, skill, the capacity to work hard, enterprising spirit and deep desire to do good.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I am grateful for this learning at a young age."

Kuldeep Bishnoi and his wife Renuka, the legislator from Hansi, won their respective seats in 2014 as Haryana Janhit Congress candidates, but they merged their party with the Congress in 2016.