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Karnataka Minister Sharan Prakash Patil on Sunday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government over recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) raids on Opposition leaders
He accused the Modi administration of using central agencies to intimidate political opponents and undermine Indian democracy. Speaking to reporters in Gadag, Minister Patil described the central agency actions as a deliberate tactic to crush opposition voices out of political desperation. Patil alleged that central investigative agencies have overwhelmingly focused their probes on non-BJP leaders, citing that 97% of recent raids have targeted Opposition figures while ignoring corruption allegations against ruling party leaders. "The Central Government is working to intimidate Opposition parties. If you are in the Opposition, they trouble you through ED and IT raids. This is an old habit of theirs that has continued for the last 10 years. Look at the history of this: 97 per cent of raids have targeted Opposition party leaders. Has there been any ED, IT, or CID inquiry into BJP leaders? This is purely politically motivated. The Modi government is taking actions that harm the country's democracy to crush the Opposition. The Modi government is losing the trust of the people and has become completely desperate. The BJP is doing this intentionally. Everyone knows the nature of the corruption that occurred from 2019 to 2023. The BJP has no moral right to speak about corruption; they made money off dead bodies when people were dying. The BJP does not need to teach us morals," said Patil. The remarks come after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at the residences of Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi and his daughter, Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Jarkiholi. The agency also conducted searches at the residence of the ministers brother-in-law, Y Manjunath, among 18 locations linked to the case. According to the agency, the case is not related to the alleged excise case against Manjunath but is a separate alleged money laundering case against Satish Jarkiholi. The agency began its operation based on certain inputs and conducted searches in close coordination with security forces. The searches covered the premises of suspects linked to the case being investigated under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. (ANI)
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