Cong leaders protest raids, call them an ‘assault on democracy’
Bengaluru: Congress leaders on Thursday protested against the Centre, accusing it of targeting only Congress leaders by misusing the Income Tax and the Enforcement Directorate for political reasons.
Ministers Ramalinga Reddy and K J George, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and MLCs V S Ugrappa and Ivan D’Souza led the protest at Maurya Circle and criticised the NDA government for targetting Energy Minister D K Shivakumar.
They said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are plotting the defeat of the Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat.
“The I-T raids on Shivakumar’s residences and offices are an assault on federalism and democracy. People had faith in the I-T department and ED, but these two agencies have become the play tools of the BJP,” Rao said. Ugrappa said the NDA government was using the I-T department and ED as political weapons.
“The Central government hasn’t implemented welfare measures, while PM Modi is busy delivering speeches.
The Congress fought against the British imperialism. The party has a long history of fighting against dictatorship. Congress leaders are not afraid of searches by the I-T department and the ED,” George said.
Reddy said the BJP toppled the JD(U)-RJD alliance and acquired power illegally in Bihar. It came to power through illegal means in Jammu and Kashmir.
The leaders said the Centre ignored the interests of Karnataka and Kannadigas by imposing Hindi. They threatened to intensify the protest against the Centre.