Kumaraswamy calls Karnataka tax raids 'revenge politics'

Bengaluru: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing the Income-Tax Department to threaten political leaders of the ruling JD-S and Congress in Karnataka, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday said the I-T raids were nothing but "revenge politics by the BJP-led NDA government".

"The Income-Tax Department raids on some businessmen and our important political leaders in the state is revenge politics by the Modi government. I will not be cowed down," Kumaraswamy told reporters here.

Terming these raids as Modi's real and open surgical strikes, the Chief Minister alleged that the offer of a constitutional post to the I-T Director-General B.R. Balakrishnan has helped the Prime Minister in his revenge game.

"Highly deplorable to use government machinery and corrupt officials to harass opponents during election time," tweeted Kumaraswamy.