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I-T raids close aid of Yediyurappa, others across Bengaluru
AH Vishwanath, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC on Thursday said that the raids were “welcome” as he had made complaints against corruption in various departments of the government at the behest of BY Vijayendra, the son of Yediyurappa.
The Income Tax department on Thursday carried out raids and searches across Bengaluru and other places in connection with a possible scam by the irrigation department during BS Yediyurappa’s term as chief minister in Karnataka, according to people aware of the developments in the IT department.
The IT department confirmed multiple raids in Bengaluru but did not divulge details.
The raids were said to be against contractors, material suppliers and chartered accountants among others. “Among those raided was Umesh, a contractor and close aide of Yediyurappa,” AH Vishwanath, the BJP MLC from Karnataka said.
Vishwanath on Thursday said that the raids were “welcome” as he had made complaints against corruption in various departments of the government at the behest of BY Vijayendra, the son of Yediyurappa.
In June this year, Vishwanath, the former state president of the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S), who defected to the BJP in 2019 along with 16 others, alleged a large scam in awarding the Bhadra Upper Canal project (DATED?).
He said that the tender for ₹21,473 crores was prepared without any clearance from the financial department or meeting of the state cabinet. He said that around ₹2000 crores were given as kickback to Vijayendra and others for awarding these tenders without due process.
“Before Yediyurappa gave up his post as chief minister, I had spoken about this scam in the Bhadra Upper Canal project. Without the clearance of the finance department, they (Vijayendra and others) had prepared tenders and would receive ₹2000 crore in kickback,” Vishwanath said on Thursday.
Vishwanath said that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that it was Vijayendra who was responsible for Yediyurappa losing his chair.
“No one other than Yediyurappa’s son was the reason for him stepping down. All these (including Umesh) are Vijayendra’s disciples,” Vishwanath said, adding that the son would get his people in every department of the government.
“Yediyurappa had given his tongue and his pen to his son and the BJP got a bad name, the government collapsed and the father too was discredited. The person responsible for all this is Vijayendra,” Vishwanath said.
The role of Yediyurappa’s family in alleged scams has come out more than once during his four stints as chief minister since 2008.
Basanagouda Patil (Yatnal), the BJP legislator from Bijapura city, also made similar allegations against Yediyurappa and his family in the past.
Yatnal, a vocal critic of Yediyurappa has constantly alleged that the former chief minister and his family indulge in corruption and will be removed soon.
The main cause for dissent within the BJP during Yediyurappa’s last term as chief minister was primarily attributed to the involvement of his son in government affairs, including allegations that he was running a parallel administration at the behest of his father, according to multiple BJP legislators since 2018.
Though Yediyurappa stepped down from the chief minister’s post in July, people aware of the developments said that they remain wary of the former chief minister and his plans in Karnataka ahead of the 2023 assembly elections.
“Income tax persons can raid anyone. But don’t know why Yediyurappa’s close aides were targeted,” Siddaramaiah, the Congress’s leader of the opposition said on Thursday.
HD Kumaraswamy, the former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) leader said that the IT raids before the October 30 polls could be because of any specific information or the possibility to control the former chief minister.
“IT has conducted these raids before the bypolls. They probably did it based on some information,” Kumaraswamy said.
He added that the raids were conducted against Yediyurappa’s close aides which may be due to the internal relations within the party and possibly because they want to control the former chief minister.
