They searched us too, claims Gujarat MLA; says raids aimed to threaten them

Most of the Gujarat Congress MLAs, who are on a sojourn at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru, were asleep or in the yoga room when around 10 to 12 I-T sleuths arrived in five cars along with CRPF personnel at the premises on Wednesday. It was 7.10 am.

As many as 43 Gujarat legislators have been housed at the resort since Saturday to protect them from being poached by the BJP ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha elections. Energy Minister D K Shivakumar was in charge of their stay and other logistics at the resort.

The I-T sleuths, after enquiring with the resort staff, headed straight to Room No. 215 where Shivakumar, who had returned to the resort late on Tuesday after attending a Niti Ayog meeting in New Delhi, was staying. Shivakumar’s room was searched and his mobile confiscated.

Shivakumar’s brother D K Suresh, MLC S Ravi and KPCC General Secretary Vinay Karthik were also questioned. According to sources, as soon as the legislators got to know about the raids, they emerged from the rooms and huddled together in the resort lobby. There was a look of disbelief and surprise on their faces, the sources added.

‘MLAs’ rooms also searched’
Congress spokesperson and MLA Shaktisinh Gohil later told reporters that the raids were conducted to threaten and instill fear in them.

Gohil, himself a Gujarat MLA camping at the resort, said the rooms of the legislators were also searched contradicting the government’s version. He claimed to have video footage of one of the Gujarat Congress MLAs’ room being searched on his mobile phone.

“I was told to stop recording the video,” he said. He later posted a video on his Twitter handle. The six-second video showed a shaky image of an armed CRPF personnel walking along a corridor.

Comparing the raids to an incident from the Ramayana, Gohil said, “Sita-haran was not Ravana’s victory. It was the beginning of his end.”

“This raid was not procedural, it was to threaten MLAs and give a loud and clear message in Gujarat that when they can conduct a raid on a minister where Congress has its government, anyone who stands by MLAs from Gujarat will not be spared,” he added.

Gohil twitted posts throughout the day, “But threats, raids, assaults will not make us sell our soul or ideology. We are from Mahatma Gandhi’s Gujarat. We will non-violently fight (sic),” one post said.

Gohil also appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of Wednesday’s developments in the interest of the MLAs’ safety.