Income Tax (I-T) department on Thursday said it has seized Rs 1.66 crore cash in raids in multiple locations across Karnataka.
A total of 24 premises, including the residence of JD(S) leader's Chinnakurli residence and Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya were covered in the raid which began on Thursday morning, I-T department said adding that locations of 13 contractors and four engineers are being searched.
Searches still underway.
Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and other senior leaders from the JD (S) and Congress staged a protest outside the I-T department office. JD(S) supporters also protested on Masuru Road against the Centre and raised slogans against the BJP government.
Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday accused the Income Tax department of working on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.
The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP government was behaving like dictators.
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"Income Tax Department has to work independently but it is working on the instructions of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. After BJP came to power, it has become like a dictatorship. Do you think the IT Director in Bengaluru is innocent? I also have lot of records," the Chief Minister alleged.
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda claimed that the raids were political vendetta as the BJP wanted Kumaraswamy to form the government with their (BJP) support but he (Kumaraswamy) refused.
"They (BJP) tried to persuade Kumaraswamy to form government with the support of BJP. Before the election, they extended huge money for the expenditure of JD(S). They tried to persuade him to meet them in Mumbai where money was kept but Kumaraswamy refused to budge," he claimed.