IT raid on contractor: CM Siddaramaiah dismisses BJP’s allegations as baseless

Team Udayavani, Oct 16, 2023, 11:37 AM IST

Image source: ANI / File

Mysuru: In response to recent allegations made by the BJP, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah categorically denied any involvement in financial improprieties during a press briefing on Monday.

The Chief Minister said that BJP’s allegations about the money found in the former contractor’s house are false. “They (the allegations) are all baseless. The High Command has not asked us for any money,” he added.

He further questioned the labeling of contractors based on political affiliations, asserting, “Can a contractor be called a BJP contractor or a Congress contractor? Now I say he is a BJP contractor. Will anyone accept that?”

He blamed the BJP for needlessly politicizing the matter. “The BJP is happy to blame. Did the Income Tax Department say it was a government scam? Did the department blame the government? Why should we investigate this? IT Raids happen all the time. This raid is also a part of it. BJP is trying to politicize it. That’s all.”

Regarding the ongoing power shortage in the state, CM Siddaramaiah said “There is a shortage of two to three thousand megawatts of electricity. There was no electricity generation in the BJP government and in the Kumaraswamy government. Hence, there is a problem of electricity.”

He assured measures have been set in motion to procure electricity from external sources. The Chief Minister underscored that steps will be taken to minimize disruptions for farmers, stating, “The farmers are constantly saying that four hours of three-phase electricity is enough. We are making arrangements for everything.”

“Out of 236 taluks of the state, 216 taluks are drought-affected. Crops have been completely destroyed in an area of 42 thousand hectares,” the CM said, adding that steps have been taken to address the crisis.

“There is no problem of drinking water at present. Actions have been taken to prevent the problem of drinking water in the coming days. If necessary, it has been suggested to drill new bore wells. Actions have been taken so that there is no shortage of fodder,” he affirmed.

In conclusion, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged for a focus on constructive solutions to the prevailing challenges rather than politicization.