Karnataka ex-CMs charged with sedition for protesting I-T raids

BENGALURU: Police have booked former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy along with the then Bengaluru police commissioner T Sunil Kumar, his subordinates and some Congress and JD(S) leaders on sedition charges for protesting the income tax raids during Lok Sabha polls.
Based on a complaint by activist Mallikarjuna, a Hyderabad court recently directed the commercial street police to register a case under various sections of the IPC including criminal conspiracy and attempting or abetting waging war against the Government of India, police said.
The case relates to protests near the I-T office here by the leaders including the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy against the Income Tax raids at the residence of Congress and JD(S) leaders. The charges are that Kumaraswamy had informed public about the possible raids after getting inputs about the action.
Kumaraswamy had told the media on March 27 that there was every likelihood of raids as a large number of central security forces had arrived at Kempegowda International Airport.
His apprehensions came true the next day as forces fanned out to different parts of the state. Later, a massive demonstration was conducted at the I-Tax office.