Income-tax raids on Mandya district Congress chief

MANDYA: A week after the income-tax department raids on associates of top JD (S) leaders, I-T sleuths on Wednesday raided the house of Mandya district Congress chief and former minister MS Atmananda.

These raids follow similar ones on the kin of minister CS Puttaraju, PWD contractors in Hassan, Mandya and Shivamogga last week which triggered a massive joint protest by Congress and JD(S) leaders in Bengaluru. Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy called them ‘political vendetta’.

“It’s sad that Atmananda's house was targeted by I-T officers. This is nothing but pressure tactics followed by BJP to defeat the alliance. We won’t run away but face it,’’ he told reporters at Shivamogga, adding, “I wish I-T officials understand the rule of law and treat everyone equally.” Atmananda is a prominent Congressman who announced his support to JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

A team of five officials swooped down on Atmananda’s house in Subash Nagar in the city at 3pm. They closed the gates and questioned Atmananda and his family members.

As news of this spread, Atmananda’s supporters gathered at the house even as Atmananda requested them to remain calm and not indulge in violence.

Earlier in the day, the CM accused BJP of using the I-T department to target opponents. He told reporters in Hassan that such raids cannot bog them down. “I don’t have any objection to I-T raids but why did they choose Hassan and Mandya? Are there no contractors in other parts of the state? It’s not possible to silence us using the I-T department.”