Bengaluru: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing the Income-Tax Department to threaten political leaders of the ruling JD-S and Congress in Karnataka, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday said the I-T raids were nothing but "revenge politics by the BJP-led NDA government".

Hon'ble PM @NarendraModi is misusing the IncomeTax Dept to threaten the political leaders of Karnataka from JDS and Congress during election time

They have planned to conduct IT raids on our important leaders.This is nothing but revenge politics.We will not be cowed down by this
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) March 27, 2019

"The Income-Tax Department raids on some businessmen and our important political leaders in the state is revenge politics by the Modi government. I will not be cowed down," Kumaraswamy told reporters here. Terming these raids as Modi's real and open surgical strikes, the Chief Minister alleged that the offer of a constitutional post to the I-T Director-General B.R. Balakrishnan has helped the Prime Minister in his revenge game. "Highly deplorable to use government machinery and corrupt officials to harass opponents during election time," tweeted Kumaraswamy.

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 harrass opponents during election time.
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) March 28, 2019