Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Aug 3: The Karnataka Government in a letter to the centre has expressed its ‘strong protest’ on deploying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, during the ongoing Income Tax Department Raid on state energy minister D K Shivakumar and others in Bengaluru on Thursday.

The letter written by Karnataka Home Department Additional Chief Secretary Subhash Chandra to Union Financial Services Secretary Hasmukh Adhia highlights that the state police were not informed about the raid.

Chandra questioned why CRPF was deployed in full operational attire with weapons for a civilian operation. “In the past, IT searches in the state have been conducted with/without police protection to IT personnel but never with the support of Central Armed Police Force such as the CRPF. While a search by the IT department is well within their domain, the involvement of the CRPF without keeping the local police informed raises certain important issues. It casts aspersions of adverse credibility, integrity and professionalism of the state police, which has been utilised by the IT department effectively earlier."

The overall security and maintenance of law and order continues to be the responsibility of the state police. The raid led to protests and caused a law and order situation in the state. The state police had to mobilize and deploy police personnel at a short notice. Therefore, such deployment needs to be in consultation with local police authorities, he stressed.

"The Government of Karnataka wishes to convey its strong protest with regard to this," the letter said.

The letter concluded pressing the fact that the established conventions of cooperative action between the agencies of the Central and State Government should not be by-passed in such matters where both Governments share responsibilities.

"It is also requested that the Income Tax Department is suitably advised in the matter," the letter added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also raised objections to the use of central force, stating IT officials should obtain help from local police during such raids. He had said CRPF personnel were used violating the rules.

"Let IT officials conduct raids and investigation by following rules and let people know the truth. Instead, if such raids are conducted with political vengeance, people will teach lesson in the days to come," Siddaramaiah had added.

The IT Department did not seek assistance in advance from the local police or any senior police authority for these operations, he had said in yesterday's letter.

In a swoop down that raised a political storm, the IT department conducted searches at 64 locations and properties linked Shivakumar in a tax evasion case and recovered over Rs 11 crore in cash. The raids continued today.

With PTI Inputs