IT dept dismisses "Yeddyurappa diary" as "forgery document"
Bengaluru, Mar 22: The Income Tax Department Saturday dismissed as a "forgery document" and a "set of loose papers", the 'Yeddyurappa diary' about alleged bribe payment to top BJP brass that has created a political furore.
The Congress, citing a media report, had Friday demanded a Lokpal probe into the charge that the state BJP chief had paid Rs 1,800 crore as bribe to the party top brass, which Yeddyurappa had dismissed as "atrocious and malicious."
"Our conclusion after studying it was that it is a forgery document. It is a set of loose papers," principal chief Income Tax Commissioner of Karnataka-Goa Region B R Balakrishnan told reporters.
He said "There was an attempt to just make use of the diary to influence some other investigation, which we have not succumbed to. We have done our job in this case as well."
The documents, which were photocopies, were seized from Karnataka water resources minister D K Shivakumar's residence during a raid carried out by the Income Tax department on August 2, 2017, he said.
The papers were sent to the forensic science laboratory in Hyderabad, which returned it saying that they need the original papers, Balakrishnan added.
He said that whatever came out in the magazine (Caravan) which broke the story was not part of the Income Tax department's seized material.
Balakrishnan stated that in view of various Supreme Court decisions on admissible evidence, "this particular diary has no evidentiary value."
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had said at a press conference in New Delhi that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come forward and clarify on the matter.
Yeddyurappa had said that "all issues raised by Congress leaders are irrelevant and false."
"The issue is a closed chapter," he had said, adding that he was consulting legal experts on the issue and thinking about filing a defamation case.
Meanwhile, the state BJP demanded that the Congress leaders apologise after Balakrishnan dubbed the alleged diary as loose sheets of paper and a forgery document.
"Congress leaders who levelled false allegations against BJP and its leaders stand exposed in public.
If Congress leaders have left any sensibility in them and respect for public sentiments, they should immediately apologise," the party said.
Regarding the outcome of raids at a Karnataka minister's residence, (apparently referring to Shivakumar), Balakrishnan, without mentioning his name, said the process to confiscate the Benami property worth Rs 75 crore has been initiated.
"The immediate consequence of a Benami transaction is that you lose the property. Prosecution is a different thing. We will think about that," Balakrishnan added.
Balakrishnan, who called a press conference to give details about the IT department's achievements in the Karnataka-Goa region in the last one year, said the region showed collection of Rs 1.11 lakh crore.
It carried out more than 300 surveys, resulting in detection of undisclosed income of Rs 911 crore, he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Elections have slipped out of Modi's hands: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed the difference between his party's guarantees and 'Modi Ki Guarantee' is clear and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows that the elections have "slipped out of his hands".
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said the Congress guarantees a "government of Indians".
Listing some promises made by the Congress, Gandhi said women will get Rs 8,500 per month, youth will get a job that pays Rs 1 lakh per year, recruitment will be carried out for 30 lakh vacancies and legal MSP will be provided to farmers.
"Modi's guarantee: Adanis' government - The country's wealth in the pockets of billionaires; donation business extortion gang; Constitution and democracy are over; farmers facing a paucity of finances; the difference is clear!" the former Congress chief said.
"Congress will create crores of millionaires in India and Modi ji knows that the election has slipped out of his hands," he said.
Addressing a rally in Amravati, Gandhi on Wednesday had claimed that ten years of the Modi government saw only 22-25 persons becoming billionaires on the back of a Rs 16 lakh crore loan waiver, but if the INDIA bloc comes to power, it will make crores of people "lakhpatis".
Gandhi had also said no force in the world can change the Constitution of India. Congress leaders have accused the BJP of wanting to change the Constitution.
