The ruling Congress in Karnataka today staged a protest here against the alleged misuse of central agencies by the BJP-led NDA government to target party leaders ahead of the state assembly polls.
Several Congress leaders and workers, led by Karnataka PCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao, held a protest march from the KPCC office to the Income Tax Department office.
Some protesters shouting pro-Congress and NSUI slogans managed to throw black ink on the nameplate of the GST and Customs headquarters, before they were detained, police said.
A top Income Tax department official here termed the charge as a claim made by a political party and said if anybody has a genuine grouse over a raid, they can move court.
The protest came a day after state Water Resources Minister M B Patil alleged that phones used by him and his family members were being tapped.
The minister had also expressed fears about Income Tax raids against him before the code of conduct for the state assembly polls came into force.
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"The misuse of the IT/Enforcement Directorate against Congress leaders of Karnataka is not only damaging to the fabric of democracy but also impinges on the impending elections in the state.
#BJPVendettaPolitics," the KPCC said in a tweet.
The party said the protest march was against "misuse" of the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation as "tools" of the BJP against Congress leaders.
A letter was also submitted to the chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes.
In the letter, the Congress said Karnataka was all set for elections this year.
"We believe that certain actions of your department's officials exceed the constitutional mandate accorded to them and vitiate the spirit of our elections," it claimed.
The party cited the raids on state Energy Minister D K Shivakumar last year, calling it "procedurally unsound."
It blamed the BJP for the raids "with an intention to malign the minister and grab power in the state."
At a press conference, when asked about the Congress protest against IT department being used as a "tool" against opponents, Director General IT (Investigation) B R Balakrishnan said, "It is a claim made by a political party what we can do? We don't have anything to say.It is between the election commission and the persons who are alleging."
Asked about the charge that the present government at the Centre was targeting the opposition ever since it came to power, he said, "We cannot prevent people from alleging. We are also open to public scrutiny."
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