Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Aug 3: The Election Commission reportedly took up the issue of raid conducted on Karnataka minister, D K Shivakumar, on Wednesday August 2. The commission dispatched its letter to union finance ministry and sought report by Friday.
It is learnt that the commission has sought a report from finance secretary based on actual facts necessitating use of Central Reserve Police Force personnel by income tax officials during raids on Shivakumar's properties.
The letter was sent after the Congress approached the commission with the complaint that the BJP was trying to influence the August 8 election in which three Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat are to be elected, by misusing income tax department officials.
Brothers - Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh and Energy Minister D K Shivkumar
It may be recalled that the party had shifted its 44 MLAs to Karnataka, which is ruled by Congress, after legislators belonging to the Congress started to resign one by one, threatening the chances of party candidate, Ahmed Patel, in the upcoming election. Karnataka energy minister, D K Shivakumar, was given the responsibility of looking after the Gujarat MLAs and ensuring that they remained together without coming in contact with outsiders. Congress said in its complaint to the election commission that the BJP-led union government was now terrorizing these MLAs.
A delegation of the party which comprised Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Shukla, Manish Tiwari, Randeep Surjewala and a couple of others met chief election commissioner A K Joti, and election officer O P Rawat. They sought intervention by the commission to make sure that the Gujarat MLAs staying in a resort in Karnataka are not coerced by BJP to change loyalties. It exhorted the commission in its memorandum to take steps to ensure that a free, fair and transparent poll is held on August 8.
The Congress urged the election commission to take all steps needed to protect safety, liberty and security of the Gujarat MLAs who will be casting their votes during election from Gujarat to Rajya Sabha on August 8.