In remarks made today amid discussions surrounding the recent death of Confident Group Chairman C.J. Roy, who allegedly died by suicide following an Income Tax raid on his company in December 2025, Priyank Kharge described such actions as systematic intimidation targeting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), individual entrepreneurs, and industrialists who do not "align" with the ruling dispensation at the Centre.
"Businessmen who do not do as Centre asks of them are harassed by IT, ED," Priyank Kharge stated bluntly, according to reports from Vartha Bharati and other sources. He emphasized that this pattern is not isolated but recurring, pointing to Roy's case as the "third or fourth such instance in Karnataka" alone. The minister alleged that central agencies are weaponized against those who fail to toe the line, creating an environment of fear and coercion across the country.
Kharge further noted that the claim of harassment was not merely his assertion but echoed by the family of the deceased businessman. He announced that the Karnataka government would launch an investigation into the matter, including scrutiny of the IT officials involved in the raid on Confident Group. "This is nothing but harassment by the Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate officials," he told reporters, vowing to probe the circumstances leading to Roy's death.
The statement comes against a backdrop of heightened political tensions between the Congress-led Karnataka government and the BJP-led Central government. Opposition leaders, including those from Congress, have repeatedly accused the Centre of misusing investigative agencies like the ED and Income Tax Department to target political rivals, their associates, and non-compliant business figures. Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, has been vocal on similar issues in the past, including criticisms of the ED as an "enslaved" or "helpless puppet" of the BJP.
The Confident Group case has drawn particular attention, with Home Minister G. Parameshwara earlier confirming that the company faced an IT raid and was given 60 days to respond. Roy's death has intensified calls for accountability, with critics arguing that aggressive enforcement actions can push individuals and businesses to extreme distress.
No immediate response was available from the Central government, IT Department, or ED to Priyank Kharge's allegations. Such claims of agency misuse have been a recurring flashpoint in Indian politics, with the ruling BJP often dismissing them as attempts to deflect from genuine investigations into corruption or financial irregularities.
Priyank Kharge's remarks underscore the ongoing debate over the independence of central investigative bodies and their perceived role in political and economic coercion. As investigations into the Confident Group incident proceed, the statement is likely to fuel further political discourse on Centre-state relations and the use of enforcement agencies in contemporary India.
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