Secret meeting between Siddaramaiah and B.S. Yediyurappa responsible for IT raid on Yediyurappa’s aide, says H.D. Kumaraswamy

Published : Oct 13, 2021 12:56 IST

In a shocking allegation, Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy said that the Income Tax raid on a close associate of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was provoked by Yediyurappa’s secret meeting with Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah of the Indian National Congress.

The IT department has been conducting raids and search and seize operations in Bengaluru and other districts since October 7. Umesh, a close associate of Yediyurappa, and three other irrigation contractors were the targets of the IT department. According to information from the department, undeclared income to the tune of Rs.750 crore was unearthed during these raids.

Kumaraswamy made the allegation while speaking to media persons in Ramanagara district on October 12. He said: “For the sake of power, Siddaramaiah left the JD (S) and joined the Congress [in 2005]. Recently, he met Yediyurappa for a secret meeting in the middle of the night with the intention to destabilise the current BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] government in Karnataka. Central leaders [of the party] found out about this meet. Thus, the IT raids were conducted on Yediyurappa’s aide to curtail and control the senior BJP leader’s actions.”

Kumaraswamy also accused Siddaramaiah of being responsible for the collapse of the Congress-JD (S) government that was in power in the State between 2018 and 2019. “Siddaramaiah can do anything for power,” Kumaraswamy said.

Responding to Kumaraswamy’s allegation, Nalin Kumar Kateel, BJP State president, said: “The IT department is an independent body that does its own work as per procedure. There are no politics in its activities.” M.P. Renukacharya, Member of Legislative Assembly and political secretary to Yediyurappa said: “There is no connection between the IT raid and Siddaramaiah and Yediyurappa.”

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