'Politically Motivated': K'taka CM Dismisses BJP Allegations That Cash Seized In I-T Raids Belongs To Congress
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the allegations by calling them "politically motivated and baseless."
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday reacted to BJP's allegation that around Rs 50 crore seized by the Income Tax Department in recent raids in the state belonged to the Congress party.
Siddaramaiah dismissed the allegations levelled against the party, calling them "politically motivated and baseless," reported news agency PTI.
"It's a political statement and baseless allegation. Are there Congress contractors and BJP contractors? I call them BJP contractors. Where is the evidence?" he told reporters.
BJP on Sunday alleged that the cash including Rs 42 crore seized from a contractor and his son was linked to the Congress and that the Siddaramaiah government was using the State as an "ATM".
On Monday, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned Rahul Gandhi's silence on the recovery of unaccounted cash.
"It is a huge thing that approx Rs 50 crores in cash was seized. This is Congress for cash, for corruption...Rahul Gandhi will you remain silent on this?" he said at a press conference.
#WATCH | On recovery of Rs 50 crores in raids in Karnataka, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "It is a huge thing that approx Rs 50 crores in cash was seized. This is Congress for cash, for corruption...Rahul Gandhi will you remain silent on this?" pic.twitter.com/45LjlppDCM
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2023
Siddaramaiah responded to a query on the BJP's allegation that the seized cash was meant to be pumped into the coming elections in five States, saying, "We have no connection with it (money). Those states which are going to polls should fight on their own. When we fought the elections, did we go to other states asking for money? It is the people who bless. Our state has no connection with (elections in) other states."
He also dismissed C T Ravi's allegation that there is a target of collecting Rs 1,000 crore for the Congress in Karnataka for funding the party to fight the assembly polls, saying that he would not react to the allegation by the BJP leader who "only speaks lies," according to PTI.
"Can anyone ask Karnataka to collect Rs 1,000 crore? Till now our high command has not asked us even for five paise," he said.
On former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's demand for a probe into the I-T raids, Siddarmaiah said, "Why should we investigate? It's Income Tax which should probe it. I-T had raided and they should investigate. Why my government should do it? Where's the allegation against the (state) government?"
There cannot be any investigation based on a politically motivated statement, the chief minister said.
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