Bengaluru/ Mysuru: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) has lashed out the Central Government alleging misuse of Central agencies, as Income Tax raids were carried out in several locations in South Karnataka.

Criticising the raids as politically motivated and a ‘revenge game’, Kumaraswamy and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda along with Congress leaders will stage a protest in front of Income-Tax Office on Queen’s Road in Bengaluru in the evening.

Kumaraswamy, who had earlier accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing the I-T Department to threaten JD(S) and Congress leaders, tweeted today morning: “PM @narendramodi’s real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harass opponents during election time.”

“To stoop so low to scare us, we haven’t done anything we haven’t committed any crime. At this late stage, during elections, the games being played by the I-T department… we know what they are playing at. If they think they can work as the agents of a political party they will have to face the consequences,” the CM said.

Karnataka Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao said the IT Department has become “a political wing of the BJP.” No confirmation was given by the I-T Department about the number of locations raided.