Income Tax department official are presently conducting search and seizure operations at Siddhartha Group of Institutions owned by senior Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara in Tumakuru.
A four-member team are also conducting searches at Sri Siddhartha Institute of Technology and Sri Siddhartha First Grade College in Tumakuru. The officials are said to be from Bengaluru I-T cell.
Sources said raids were also on at a group of educational institutions owned by senior Congress leader R.L. Jalappa in Kolar. Sources in I-T deparment said that the individuals were not targets of the search and seizure operations but these operations were against the educational institutions based on specific information.
The raids come hours before the Karnataka Legislative Assembly is set to convene for a three-day session on Thursday. As opposition Congress has alleged “politics of vendetta,” the session is expected to be stormy.
“I have come to know that Siddhartha Group is being raided. Let I-T take any action if they find anything illegal. But we will answer to this if this is politically motivated,” said Dr. Parameshwara.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Siddaramaiah, said it was clear from the pattern of these raids that only Congress leaders were being targeted. “BJP is misusing central agencies to target Congress and opposition leaders which we condemn,” he said.
