Minister threatens legal action on Election Commission

Assam agriculture minister Rakibul Hussain here on Sunday accused Income-Tax sleuths and expenditure observer of the Election Commission of India of traumatising his minor son during an alleged politically-motivated raid and search at his residence on Thursday.

Narrating the event as to how his minor son was taken from one room to other during the search by I-T sleuths, Mr Hussain said, “My minor son has not been able to sleep properly. The incident has created a fear-psychosis in his behaviour.”

Accusing it to be a politically-motivated raid which was led by a Indian Customs and Central Excise officer of Gujarat cadre, Mr Raghvendra Singh, Mr Hussain said, “It was amusing to see that I-T raid conducted in presence of expenditure observer of the Election Commission of India took the signature of an officer of the Assam government accompanying the observer on duty as witness.”

Pointing out the high-handed behaviour of the expenditure observer who personally supervised the search of the I-T sleuths, Mr Hussain said, “I have decided to take a legal course against the officers involved in the conspiracy with some BJP leaders.” The EC, however, on Friday withdrew its expenditure observer Raghavendra Singh from his duties in Kamrup (metro) election district, who led the Income-Tax department’s search operations at the residence and vehicles of agriculture minister Rakibul Hussain on Wednesday.

The EC said that the observer had “transgressed his jurisdiction by reaching at the spot himself and acted against the instructions of the EC. It has also ordered departmental action against Mr Singh. The commission also claimed that the I-T department carried out the search operation independently.

Mr Hussain said, “Some of our old colleagues are not happy with ruling Congress party amd me. I want to tell them that they are free to settle their score with me but don’t drag my family into it.”

Mr Hussain also pointed out various flaws in EC raid, which was converted into an IT raids later on.