Congress workers protest as I-T raids at Karnataka min DK Shivakumar's residence continue

Income Tax department raids at 39 locations of Karnataka Minister D.K Shivakumar who hosted Gujarat Congress MLAs continued on its second consecutive day with all Congress cash-handlers under investigation.

I-T department raids were underway at premises owned by Shivakumar in Delhi’s Safdarjung area and so far, Rs. 10 crores have been recovered from these crackdowns since Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Congress workers in Bengaluru held protests against the IT raids on Karnataka minister and the party has termed the raids as an “ugly tricks” of “frustrated BJP” to win the Gujarat Rajya Sabha seat from where it's senior leader Ahmed Patel is contesting.

IT raids continue at premises owned by Karnataka Minister D.K Shivakumar in Delhi's Safdarjung area. pic.twitter.com/cLK1YfmSFZ

— ANI (@ANI_news) August 3, 2017

Congress workers hold protest in Bengaluru against IT raids on Karnataka Minister D. K. Shivakumar. pic.twitter.com/4blYUF3Hx0

— ANI (@ANI_news) August 3, 2017

Earlier on Wednesday, Income Tax Department conducted searches at multiple locations in Karnataka and Delhi related to Karnataka Energy minister D K Shivakumar, who is hosting 44 Congress MLAs from Gujarat at Eagleton Golf Resort in Bengaluru.

A total of 39 premises of the minister and his family are being raided by a team of about 120 Income Tax Department officials with the aid of central paramilitary forces, they said.

The department is also investigating charges of the alleged role of money power and huge transfer of illegal funds for these polls.

Congress reacting on the raids said the “frustrated” Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is using ugly tricks to win Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat and when their plans to bribe MLAs failed they are resorting to I-T raids.

“BJP has used every dirty and ugly trick to run a conspiracy to win Rajya Sabha seat in Gujarat. An attempt was made to bribe legislators in Gujarat; when everything failed, a frustrated BJP Govt now resorting to IT raids,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

Senior Congress leader and party’s lone Rajya Sabha nominee from Gujarat, Ahmed Patel also echoed similar voices saying BJP is on “unprecedented witch-hunt” just to win 1 seat.

"BJP is on an unprecedented witch-hunt just to win 1 Rajya Sabha seat. After using state machinery and every other agency, these I-T raids show their utter desperation and frustration,” Patel said.

The Congress had sent 44 of its Gujarat legislators to Eagleton Golf Resort in Bengaluru fearing horse-trading by BJP ahead of key Rajya Sabha polls on August 8. Of the 57 Congress MLAs in Gujarat, six resigned from the party in the last few days. Three of them joined the BJP on Friday.