Pressure cookers as ‘gift to induce voters’: Manufacturer comes under IT scanner
Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency, where D.K. Suresh, sitting Congress MP, is up against BJP candidate Dr. C.N. Manjunath, seems to be under the scanner of the Income Tax Department.
Tax sleuths issued a notice to a leading home appliances manufacturer seeking details of its production and distribution of pressure cookers following allegation of distribution of pressure cookers in Bengaluru Rural constituency as electionrelated inducement.
The home appliances company had been
searched by IT officials in connection with a similar complaint during the Assembly elections in May 2023.
The latest action follows a complaint by the Janata Dal (Secular) to the Election Commission alleging distribution of four lakh pressure cookers in
Bengaluru Rural constituency.
A source in the IT Department told The Hindu, “We are inquiring into the complaint. We have summoned the manufacturer of pressure cookers. We are seeking information on how many cookers they have sold and where, including bulk sales.” The source revealed that the manufacturer has seven warehouses in the constituency.
Complaint by HDK
Earlier, addressing mediapersons, former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D.
Kumaraswamy alleged that about 10 lakh pressure cookers bearing the photograph of a candidate were set to be distributed, of which 4 lakh had already been distributed.
The pressure cookers, he claimed, were being manufactured in Harohalli industrial area, which comes under Bengaluru Rural constituency.
Appealing to the Election Commission to intervene, Mr. Kumaraswamy claimed to have complained to election officers in the constituency, including the Deputy Commissioner, but the officials insisted that no such activity was taking place.