Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has dismissed the BJP’s allegations that the money seized during the recent Income Tax raids in Bengaluru has links with the ruling Congress government in Karnataka.
“It is a politically motivated and baseless allegation,” he told reporters in Mysuru on Monday. Attempts are being made to “politically link” the money found during the raid by the Income Tax Department; it is a “political statement and baseless allegation”, he said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also countered the Opposition party’s charge that the money had been seized from the house of a Congress contractor by wondering how can contractors be differentiated on party lines. “I will call them as BJP contractors. Where is the evidence?,” the Chief Minister asked.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also dismissed the State-wide protests by the BJP on the issue. “People won’t believe in the BJP’s protests. They are staging protests for a political purpose in view of the coming elections to the Parliament and five states,” he said.
With regard to the demand for a probe into the matter, Mr. Siddaramaiah wondered how can the State government order an investigation.
The Income Tax Department, which had carried out the raid, will conduct an investigation. “What should the State government do in the matter? Where is the allegation against the government. Has the Income Tax Department accused the Government?,” he sought to know.
He ruled out the possibility of conducting an investigation into BJP’s politically motivated allegations.
He rejected the BJP’s charge that the money seized during the IT raids was meant for use by the Congress party in election-bound States. Making it clear that there was no connection between the Congress government in Karnataka and the elections in the five States, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the party did not go to other States asking for funds during the elections in the State. “We won because people blessed us,” he said.
Responding to BJP leader C.T. Ravi’s claims that the Congress High Command has fixed a target for both Mr. Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for collection of funds, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he does not wish to reply to Mr C.T. Ravi whom he accused of only saying lies. “I can’t react to lies,” he said.
However, he said the Congress High Command has never asked for even five paise till now. “All are false and baseless allegations,” he said.
