The Income Tax (I-T) Department has approached the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) asking for criminal action to be initiated against Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and a number of cabinet ministers from the state for allegedly trying to intimidate its officers and obstructing their work, reports DNA.

The matter stems from a demonstration led by the said persons close to the office of the I-T Department on 28 March, accusing the central government of intimidating opposition parties through the use of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), I-T Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In his letter, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Goa-Karnataka region) B R Balakrishnan named Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Ministers D K Shivakumar and S R Mahesh, former home minister Ramalinga Reddy, Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA and KPCC president for their involvement in the protest.

In the communication, Balakrishnan writes that the protest was “followed by specific statements including personal allegations against the director general of income tax by Ministers H D Revanna and C S Puttaraju."

The I-T Department has demanded that cases should be filed against all the participants of the demonstration, under Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions dealing with unlawful assembly, intentional insult, breach of peace, statements conducing to public mischief, criminal intimidation, obstructing public servant from discharging their duties and threat of injury to public servant.

Karnataka has been in the spotlight in recent weeks as state-wide raids by authorities have recovered large quantities of unaccounted cash, jewellery, etc from around 15-20 locations.