Income tax raids become rallying point for alliance partners to hammer PM and BJP

The Income Tax sleuths simultaneous raids on the supporters of ruling Janata Dal Secular party since Yesterday evening and continuing further today has led to a political turmoil like situation while the issue has instigated Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to follow the footsteps of Mamata Bannerji,West Bengal CM in staging a public protest before the Income Tax department headquarters here.

In fact CM HD Kumaraswamy himself had hinted out at possible raids Yesterday night itself.And as the news of simultaneous raids at multiple locations on the residences of some JDS sympathizers since early in the morning became breaking news the development sent shocking waves in the ruling party.He claimed today that he was alerted over the development by his own admirers in the department and objected to the practice of deploying the CISF instead of the local police for conducting these raids.

The chief minister who has been camping in Mandya district to ensure the victory of his actor son Nikhil Kumaraswamy from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency on getting the information of these raids immediately closeted with party leaders at the Infosys campus in Mysuru for more than two hours.

Later he disclosed to media persons his resolve to protest before the Income Tax department office headquarters in Bengaluru. He also made use of the opportunity to hurl abuses against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party.HD Kumaraswamy who appeared perturbed on the developments took a dig:We take strong exception to the biased action of the department on a select few people belonging to our party which is acting at the behest of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amith Shah,BJP national president.

A couple of hours later leaders of both the JDS-INC ruling combine staged a protest demonstration before the Income Tax department headquarters in Bengaluru and took the ruling BJP government in the center to task for today's raids.The chief minister was accompanied by his ministerial colleagues Dr G Parameshwar,Deputy Chief Minister,CS Puttaraju,SR Ramesh,DK Shivakumar,Dinesh Gundurao,KPCC president,Siddaramaiah,Congress legislature party leader and many others.

All the speakers found the stage a right platform to attack the BJP led NDA alliance government and accused the Chief Commissioner of 'dancing to the tune of PM and Amith Shah'.

Siddaramaiah,Congress CLP leader claimed: BJP will not be a permanent ruling party at the center and officials shouldn't stoop to the level of behaving like the servants of the ruling party.The BJP has been destroying all constitutional bodies to serve it's political agenda.

The leaders claimed today's protest as a symbolic one and will resort to stringent action if the politically motivated raids don't stop on the eve of current Lok Sabha elections.A group of volunteers belonging to the National Students Union of India(NSUI) soon after the public protest made an attempt in vain to tarnish the Income Tax department boards with spray paint.The attempt was immediately thwarted by a huge contingent of state policemen who arrested the workers.

Meanwhile the Bharatiya Janata Party has rebuked the utterances of the alliance party leaders over the issue of raids.BS Yeddyurappa,state BJP president lambasted the JDS-INC leaders' remarks:Before making any wild allegations against the officials these people should understand that there are procedures to initiate administrative action against anyone.

He also hit back the alliance leaders by claiming:We never objected to such raids on our own leaders like GM Siddeshwara,Davanagere MP,Ashwathnarayan,MLA among many others.On the other hand a press release of the Income Tax department denied any political overtones in today's simultaneous raids as they are part of routine affair.It also denied raid on any of the legislators/MPs or ministers as being pointed out.

The rejoinder also expressed its displeasure over the remarks of those in power for calling upon the cadre to indulge in violence against the department.It may be recalled here that CM HD Kumaraswamy in his initial reaction to the press had warned of severe consequences if the raids don't stop immediately.

-Manohar Yadavatti