Unprecedented 'witch-hunt' by BJP to win RS seat: Congress on K'taka raids

After the Income Tax department raided a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru where 42 Congress MLAs from Gujarat were holed up to avoid poaching by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat, the Congress on Wednesday slammed the saffron party for conducting a 'witch-hunt' to win Rajya Sabha.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel took to twitter saying that the BJP is on an unprecedented witch-hunt to win one Rajya Sabha (RS) seat in Gujarat"

Another tweet followed saying, "After using state machinery and every other agency, these I-T raids show their utter desperation and frustration".

Resonating similar views, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal stated that nobody can raid without State Government's allowance or permission.

"The Income Tax department came along with CRPF police which is not at all acceptable. Nobody can raid without State Government's allowance or permission. Our MLA's were kept here for security reasons. This is an attack on our democracy and we will take action on it," Sibal told reporters.

Earlier in the day, the Income Tax Department conducted multiple searches in Karnataka and Delhi related to Karnataka Energy minister D. K Shivakumar, who has been hosting 44 Congress MLAs from Gujarat at Eagleton Golf Resort in Bengaluru.

The raid prompted reactions from a number of politicians with Congress leaders alleging that BJP is targeting MLAs from the party.