DK Shivakumar Questions BJP & JD(S) Leaders' IT Department-like Behavior
BENGALURU:
Hitting out at the opposition for linking huge cache of money recovered by Income Tax sleuths during searches at properties belonging to a city-based contractor to the Congress government in Karnataka and its leaders, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar questioned as to why JD(S) and BJP leaders were behaving like the department’s representatives.
He pointed out that the IT department is yet to make an official statement regarding the searches, its outcome, and the recoveries made.
”They (BJP-JD(S) leaders) are speaking whatever they want. Let the Income Tax department give an official statement (on searches), let’s speak after that. Kumaraswamy (JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy) or BJP leaders are not representatives of the Income Tax department, they are speaking as though they are its representatives,” Shivakumar said in response to a question.
”I won’t say anything now, let the Income Tax department release the information they have, and let’s talk later on it,” he said, when questioned whether he expects more IT raids in the state.
IT sleuths have conducted searches at properties belonging to some contractors, and have reportedly recovered a huge cache of money stashed in several boxes at properties belonging to one city-based contractor, according to official sources.
Several BJP leaders, and also JD(S)’ Kumaraswamy, targeting the Congress government, have alleged that the money recovered by IT sleuths, was actually collected from contractors as commission, in return for clearing their pending bills, to fund upcoming elections in five states.
Senior BJP leader and former Minister R Ashoka today said the BJP demands CBI probe to find the truth about the money recovered during the searches.
Stating that more than Rs 42 crore cash has been recovered from a contractor’s house, whose wife was earlier a Congress corporator, shows the ways in which this government is functioning, he said, there is suspicion as to how the contractor got so much money, when he was not involved in any contracts for some years now, and had never indulged in big contracts.
Pointing out that the BJP had earlier alleged that it is an ATM government in the state, and the recovery of huge cash is an evidence for it, Ashoka further said Karnataka was being used as an ATM to fund the Congress party in five election-bound states.
Senior BJP leader and former Minister R Ashoka has called for a CBI investigation to uncover the truth behind the money that was discovered during recent searches. According to Ashoka, over Rs 42 crore in cash was found at the residence of a contractor, whose wife was previously associated with the Congress party as a corporator. This raises suspicions about the functioning of the current government, as the contractor had not been involved in any contracts for several years and had never been associated with large-scale projects.
Ashoka highlighted that the BJP had previously accused the state government of operating like an ATM, and the recovery of such a significant amount of cash serves as evidence to support this claim. He further alleged that Karnataka was being used as a source of funds to support the Congress party in the five states where elections are scheduled to take place.
Additionally, Ashoka claimed that money was being sent to Telangana, which is also preparing for elections.
In light of these revelations, the BJP is demanding a thorough investigation by the CBI to uncover the truth behind the recovered money.
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