CRPF in Bengaluru to carry out I-T raids on Thursday, alleges Kumaraswamy
Warned Centre of following Mamata Bannerjee if it tries to bully them
Bengaluru, Mar 27: Raising fears about possible income tax raids on Congress-JD(S) functionaries, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Wednesday claimed CRPF personnel have been brought from various parts of the country to carry out I-T raids in Karnataka.
"I have got a specific information that some 200 to 300 CRPF sleuths have arrived from various parts of the country.
They will be ferried from the airport to the city.
They have been brought to Bengaluru from other states to carry out income tax raids in Karnataka," Kumaraswamy told reporters at Mandya.
He claimed that the raids may be carried out at 5 am Thursday.
I-T officials were not immediately available for comment.
Striking a belligerent note, Kumaraswamy warned the BJP-led NDA government that he would follow what his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee did if it tried to "bully" the Congress-JDS coalition partners.
Banerjee had staged a "Save the Constitution" dharna from February 3 to 5 at Kolkata after the CBI's failed bid to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with chit fund cases.
Kumaraswamy alleged that the Centre had resorted to politics of vengeance using the income tax officials as its agents.
Sending a stern message to income tax officials, he said, "I know the game income tax officials are playing at the final stage of election.
They should be cautious because if they think that they can function like the agents of a political party forever, they may end up repenting."
Kumaraswamy accused the income tax officials of being unfair. He said usually the taxmen take the help of state police while carrying out raids but this time they brought CRPF jawans from various parts of the country.
"Let us see from whom they will collect... I think the Congress and the JD(S) functionaries can be the target," the chief minister said.
Insisting that he never believed in politics of vengeance, Kumaraswamy said he never came in the way of Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths to raid corrupt officials.
"If they (Centre) try to bully us, I will follow what Mamata Bannerjee did," he added.
Alarmed by the disclosure, the Congress' Karnataka unit wanted to know whether I-T, Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation were the arms of the BJP-led Central government to win elections.
"Are the CBI, I-T and ED the election tools against the opposition parties? First time in the history of India (Prime Minister) Modi misused the autonomous institutions on large-scale.
People will teach a lesson to a failed Narendra Modi for his action against the leaders of coalition government," the Congress tweeted.
Lok Sabha elections are being held in two phases in Karnataka on April 18 and 23.
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Himanta Biswa Sarma files nomination from Jalikbari constituency
Guwahati, Mar 20 (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma filed nomination papers on Friday, seeking re-election from the Jalukbari constituency for the sixth term in a row.
Sarma was accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, son Nandil Biswa Sarma, BJP's Gauhati Lok Sabha MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi and Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sarania.
Before reaching the Kamrup (Metropolitan) District Election office to file the nomination, the CM, atop an open vehicle, led a large procession from the Veterinary Field at Khanapara to the election office at Hengrabari, a distance of about 5.6 kms.
The BJP leader got off the vehicle at Last Gate in Dispur, walked for a few minutes, and then entered another vehicle to reach the office of the district commissioner cum district electoral officer.
He was greeted along the way by traditional 'gayan-bayan' (a group of traditional devotional performers), Bihu dancers and drummers.
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Thousands of people from his constituency, the majority of whom were women, braved incessant rains since last night to accompany Sarma in the procession.
Sarma's wife was seen taking a selfie with him and their son in the vehicle.
Prior to setting out to file the papers, the chief minister sought the blessings of his mother Mrinalini Devi.
''Auspicious occasions should always begin with mother's blessings. Though I don't get to spend much time with her these days, her blessings always power me to continue serving Aai Asomi (mother Assam),'' Sarma said in a post on X.
After filing his papers, Sarma urged people to bless him and all candidates of the BJP and its two alliance partners -- the AGP and the BPF.
He thanked the people of his constituency for coming from far and near despite the heavy rain.
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The CM said that several new areas have been included in his constituency, which was realigned during the delimitation exercise.
''It will take some time to get the people of these areas, but I am confident that they will bless and support him,'' Sarma said.
He said that it will not be possible for him to campaign extensively in his own constituency, as he has to go to other seats for canvassing.
''The party workers will take care of my campaign.... I will also try to go and Riniki (his wife) will also visit some places,'' he said, adding that he will address five to six meetings in a day.
Regarding campaigning by national leaders, Sarma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address three meetings and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address six to eight. A meeting will also be held this evening to finalise the plan.
Sarma has represented Jalukbari under the Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency since 2001 and seeks to retain it for the sixth consecutive term in the polls.
He first contested this seat in 1996 as a Congress candidate, losing to late AGP leader Bhrigu Kumar Phukan by 17,000 votes but he wrested the seat from him in 2001, winning by a margin of 10,000 votes.
Sarma's winning spree continued, and the victory margin kept increasing in each poll, and he achieved a record win by 1,01,000 in 2021. He joined the BJP in 2015.
The last date for filing of nomination papers was March 23, scrutiny of papers will be held the next day, and the last date of withdrawal is March 26.
Elections to the 126-member assembly will be held on April 9, and the votes will be counted on May 4.
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