ED raids result of Congress factionalism: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Gadag (Karnataka), May 23 (PTI) Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara were the result of factionalism within the Congress's Karnataka unit.

Joshi said a faction of the ruling Congress in Karnataka had provided all the information to the ED, which led to raids on institutions linked to Parameshwara.

The ED raided 16 locations on Wednesday and Thursday, some linked to Parameshwara, including Siddhartha Institute of Technology and Siddhartha Medical College.

The raids were conducted in connection with a gold smuggling case involving the Kannada film actress Harshavardhini Ranya, also known as Ranya Rao.

The ED suspects that Rs 40 lakh was "diverted" from one of Parameshwara’s institutions to pay Ranya’s credit card bill.

“Who wrote to the ED asking them to take action? A faction within the Congress sent all the information to the ED against Parameshwara, and now they are staging a drama here,” Joshi told reporters in Gadag.

“I want to make it clear that I respect Parameshwara—he is a cultured politician. The point is, the ED is investigating because there were complaints. A faction within the Congress had filed a complaint with the ED,” he added.

Joshi claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is aware of the faction that sent the complaint to the ED.

“Ask Siddaramaiah—he’ll tell you. He has the intelligence wing under his control. Are you just putting on a show, Mr Siddaramaiah?” Joshi asked.

Noting that the ED is acting in accordance with the law, Joshi clarified that the raids were not being carried out because Parameshwara is the Home Minister or a Congress leader, but because a complaint was made by a faction within the Congress.

Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after arriving from Dubai.

Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials detained her and seized gold bars weighing 14.2 kg, valued at over Rs 12.56 crore.

She is the stepdaughter of DGP-rank officer K Ramachandra Rao. PTI GMS SSK GMS SSK ROH