Minister Gowda Alleges ED Misuse to Destabilise Congress-Led Karnataka Government

Bengaluru: Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda on Thursday raised questions over the functioning of Enforcement Directorate (ED) and accused the officials concerned of ED of mounting pressure on accused persons in the alleged fraudulent transactions in Valmiki Development Corporation, a State Government undertaking, to give false statement against top persons of the State Government.

By forcing accused/witnesses in the Valmiki Development Corporation to give false statements, Gowda said the move is to destabilize the Congress led State Government and asserted the Congress party will not be intimidated by the pressure tactics. Continuing, he said, the Congress party will take its fight against ED both legally and also on the streets.

Divulging figures of ED raids under the BJP regime, the Minister stated after BJP came to power in the Centre in 2014, there has been a drastic increase in ED cases in the country and cases of ED saw about 400 percent rise in cases registered to that of Congress rule over the country.

Out of the 400 percent rise in ED cases registered, Gowda pointed out 95 percent of the cases have been against opposition party leaders including Congress party and its allies while 5 percent cases have been against BJP and its allies.

In comparison, the Minister said, when Congress party was in power at the Centre, 53 ED cases were against BJP and its allies and 47 percent of the ED cases were against Congress and its allies. By misusing ED, Gowda accused the Central Government led by BJP of conducting a ‘surgical strike’ against opposition party leaders and termed it a ‘murder of democracy.’

Gowda pointed out that a Supreme Court observed the functioning of ED has been ‘arbitrary’ and lacking ‘transparency’ over arrests of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemanth Soren and also Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Minister accused the BJP of conducting an experiment in Karnataka to destabilize Congress led State Government like the BJP leaders did in Jharkhand, Delhi and other States.

Sharing views to that of Revenue Minister, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge BJP leader and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa faces an ED case but no progress in the investigation since 2023 among other instances.

Kharge said 14 political parties have petitioned the Supreme Court against Income Tax and ED accusing both the institutions of ‘misuse’ of their powers. Out of 121 raids on political leaders, 115 of raids have been against opposition party leaders. Out of 3,000 raids by ED, he said, prosecution has been less than 25 percent and alleged many leaders have been clean chit after they joined BJP or its allies.

Ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao, K.J. George and Santosh Lad spoke.