HDK says I-T officer has ‘disproportionate’ assets

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy levelled serious allegations against the principal chief commissioner of income tax and director-general (investigations), B R Balakrishna, accusing him of ‘settling’ cases here on Thursday.

Speaking at the protest held in front of I-T department office on Queens’ Road, he said that Balakrishna was involved in settling cases after searching persons for tax evasion. “We know the cases he has settled,” he said, indicating that the officer had accumulated disproportionate wealth by this method. “I had made a direct allegation against him yesterday. Is the director an honest man. How many flats does he own in Mumbai?” he said.

Coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah, accusing the Centre of relentlessly misusing the I-T department, said that a similar trend was observed during Assembly elections last year when Congress leaders were targeted. “The state government has Anti-Corruption Bureau. We can raid any official of the Centre or state as we have the power to do so. But, we are not misusing our powers,” he said.

The raids, he said, was prompted by prime minister Narendra Modi’s fear of losing in the coming elections and Balakrishna was dancing to the Centre’s tunes. “I want to tell the Income Tax officials. BJP is not going to stay in power at the Centre forever,” he said, questioning why BJP leaders were being exempted from raids.

Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, speaking at the protest, said that all the secrets of the failed attempts by BJP to poach their MLAs by paying them crores of rupees would come out in the open soon.

BJP files complaint

Meanwhile, BJP filed a complaint with the chief electoral officer, accusing Congress and JD(S) leaders of staging a protest without permission from concerned authorities. “Just to shield the corrupt, the Congress and JD(S) are trying to mislead the people of Karnataka,” the complaint read.

Claiming that the Election Commission had not permitted the protest, BJP said supporters of the coalition government were abusing the prime minister using unparliamentary words.

“In totality, this shows that disorder is the order in Karnataka, during the rule of the coalition government,” the complaint said.