"BJP Tried Using Cash To Lure Us Into Tie-Up": Deve Gowda After Tax Raids

HD Deve Gowda termed the Income Tax raids as "politically motivated".

Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda today claimed that the BJP tried using money to lure his son - Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy - into agreeing to an electoral alliance before the 2018 Karnataka assembly elections, news agency PTI reported. The allegation came hours after Income Tax officials conducted raids on Janata Dal (Secular) leaders, a move that has been termed by the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government as "politically motivated".

"Before the elections, the BJP requested Kumaraswamy to come to Mumbai before the election. They promised big money for the Janata Dal (Secular)'s electoral expenses. I was aware of this. Knowing my stand, Kumaraswamy took a hard decision. He rejected the offer by saying he would not go against the wishes of his father and join hands with the BJP," Mr Gowda told PTI.

The former Prime Minister alleged that the BJP was targeting Janata Dal (Secular) leaders because they had failed to form a government with his son's help. "Until now, the Income Tax officials had been targeting Congress leader DK Shivakumar. Now, they have targeted two parliamentary constituencies and the Public Works Department office is being searched. It is sad that they have stooped to such low levels," the news agency quoted him as saying.

Mr Gowda also claimed that he had refused a meet with BJP president Amit Shah two years ago. "He had sought an appointment to meet me at my residence two years ago. I said it can't happen."

Thursday's tax raids came less than 24 hours after Mr Kumaraswamy warned he would use "Mamata Banerjee tactics" against any show of political vendetta by the centre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju and his nephew were among those targeted by Income Tax officials in the pre-dawn operation.

(With inputs from PTI)