Kamal Nath terms I-T raids on close aides ‘poll stunt’

Bhopal: In a bid to boost the morale of Congress workers in the wake of ongoing raids by income-tax (I-T) sleuths on the houses and business establishments of his close aides at different locations in and outside Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Kamal Nath on Monday called it an “election stunt” performed at the behest of the BJP leadership.

Mr Nath issued a one-page statement describing the I-T raids as an attempt to intimidate the Congress ahead of the LS polls.

“BJP’s intimidation tactic is a clear indication that the party has sensed its debacle in the 2019 general elections,” the statement addressed to Congress workers said.

Former chief minister and BJP vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan, however, justified the raids, saying that the searches were conducted based on information on corrupt practices by people linked to the CM. “The yields from IT raids sum up the achievements of 100-day-old Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh,” Mr Chouhan quipped.