I-T raids continue at D K Shivakumar’s properties; over 40 locations searched

News Network

August 3, 2017

Bengaluru, Aug 3: Income Tax department officials continued for the second day on Thursday their raids on properties linked to Karnataka energy minister DK Shivakumar, who is in charge of hosting Congress MLAs from Gujarat shifted outside to avoid a break in their ranks.

Officials said in Karnataka alone 39 locations were being searched, in addition to some in Chennai and Delhi. Media reports identified the Delhi properties to be located in Safdarjung and RK Puram.

According to sources, cash was recovered since the searches began at 7am on Wednesday, but there was no indication of the value. The department has not officially confirmed if it retrieved cash.

The raids on Shivakumar escalated into a political confrontation between his Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress raised the issue in parliament, forcing multiple adjournments in the upper house, and the BJP of carrying out “an unprecedented witch-hunt”.

The Congress legislators taken to Karnataka are crucial for the party’s prospects in a close Rajya Sabha election scheduled next week in which Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to party president Sonia Gandhi, is seeking re-election.

The party saw a string of defections from its Gujarat cadre, prompting it to accuse the BJP of using money and muscle power to gain an advantage in the RS polls.

The raids on Shivakumar triggered protests by Congress members. On Wednesday, youth Congress leaders protested near Shivakumar’s residence in Bengaluru and outside the I-T office in Mangaluru.

Senior Congress leaders in the state were quick to condemn the raids, especially the use of paramilitary forces at the residence of the minister.

“I-T raids targeting energy minister D K Shivakumar is completely politically motivated and central government’s role behind it is well known,” chief minister Siddaramaiah said in a statement. He said, “It is not right on the part of central government to use I-T department for its political conspiracies. We will not bow down to such intimidation.”

Comments

why the IT team is not raiding Adani & patanjali group ?

BJP is turning India into a dictatorial regime. When BJP can't horse trade MLAs,
let's raid where they are staying.

I am surprised that there is no mention in the article about the huge cash seized
in the raid.

BJP is using official machinery to serve their political end. People of this country
will teach them a lesson in 2019.

The intention of the BJP is to tarnish the image of the Congress leaders . People
are watching the game and it will be reflected in the election provided the voting
machines are not tampered

This is how Modi the tyrant ran Gujarat with the Govt machinery as his
henchmen. Now he has the intelligence,ED,CBI,NIA,IT to harass those who
oppose him.It is a shame that India has been reduced to a banana republic.

OK. Can staunch supporters of D K Shivakumar explain how IT found 10 crore
at his residence?

The more the raid on politicians and corrupt the better the common man feels

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Why BJP hesitating to restore Lokayukta in Karnataka, asks Santhosh Hegde

coastaldigest.com news network

February 5,2020

Tumakuru, Feb 5: Former Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde has questioned the integrity of the B S Yediyurappa led BJP government as it has not taken an action to abolish the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to re-establish the Lokayukta in Karnataka.

Speaking after felicitating the retired scientist of NASA Gopal Iyengar at the Karnataka Public School at Kadaba in Gubbi taluk he reminded that the BJP had promised to establish the Lokayukta.

"No party will like to strengthen the Lokayukta and now BSY is also tightlipped and even put an end by appreciating that ACB has been doing a good job", he regretted.

In fact, the Lokayakuta had the power to prosecute even the top brass of officials and now the ACB cannot without the government's permission, he clarified.

He denied any remarks on the CAA and NRC but observed that the youths of the country have been misguided by the politicians as they lost their focus on education by involving in protest rallies.

"I suggest they to straight away take a political plunge instead of getting misused at the hands of the politicians with selfish motives", he said.

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Saudi Arabia announces health protocols for Hajj

News Network

July 6,2020

Riyadh, July 6: The government of Saudi Arabia has announced health protocols to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in the 2020 Hajj season, banning gatherings and meetings between pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia decided in June to limit the number of domestic pilgrims attending the Hajj to around 1,000 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, after barring pilgrims abroad from the rite for the first year in modern times.

Touching the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, will be banned during the Hajj this year, and a social distancing space of a meter and a half between each pilgrim during the rituals including mass prayers and while in the Kaaba circling area will be imposed, a statement by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) elaborated.

Also, access to holy Hajj sites at Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat will be limited to those with Hajj permits starting Sunday July 19 till Aug. 2 2020, and wearing masks all the time will be mandatory for both pilgrims and organisers.

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Here's the first phase flight plan for return of Indian nationals stranded abroad

coastaldigest.com news network

May 5,2020

Newsroom, May 5: Following the union government's nod, preparations are afoot to bring back Indian nationals stranded abroad from May 7 onwards.

According to sources, in the first phase from May 7- 14, the government would allow more than 60 “non-scheduled, commercial” flights to operate from about 12 countries to India to bring back 15,000 citizens. At least half of those flights will be from the Gulf region, including UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, while the rest would bring passengers from the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Bangladesh.

The flights would be spread over 10 States identified as having the largest numbers to return, with Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Delhi (NCR) receiving the maximum number of flights.

A meeting held at the Ministry of Civil Aviation looked specifically at flights, mainly operated by Air India, while it awaits a final plan from countries where Indians need to be airlifted from. The first flights planned at present are from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh and Doha, flying directly to Kozhikode and Kochi.

While the full estimate of Indians needing to return home could cross ten lakhs (a million), with more than two lakhs having registered to return from the UAE alone, officials said their return would be “prioritised and staggered”.

Flight plan for return of Indian nationals stranded abroad: