Congress has made graft a cause: Arun Jaitley on Karnataka protests

NEW DELHI: Finance minister Arun Jaitley hit out at Congress on Saturday saying it had made "corruption a cause" by protesting with the Janata Dal (Secular) outside the income tax office in Bengaluru and termed it a "transparent self-goal".

Chief minister of Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy, some of his cabinet colleagues and senior leaders of Congress had protested against income tax searches with a "political motivation" and alleged that ministers had been searched.

"The best evidence they could provide for was that the 'nephew' of a minister was searched. In an unprecedented move the CM and ministers of the state decided to join the protest," Jaitley said, adding that the tax department had said no MP, MLA or minister was searched. The finance minister said the search was only against contractors and engineers of the PWD department. "If no minister has been searched, then why the protest?" Jaitley said in a blog.

The finance minister said the incident illustrates a textbook method of the UPA on two fronts: use government money, round trip it through contractors and beneficiaries and enrich yourselves. "The second is lip sympathy for federalism and destroy it whenever the opportunity arises," Jaitley said. He said the disproportionality of the reaction of Congress and JD(S) raises suspicion.

"Why the CM and ministers should be seen raising slogans on the streets when corrupt contractors and engineers are being searched?" Jaitley asked.