The Income Tax Department on Thursday carried out searches on educational institutions owned by G. Parameshwara, former Karnataka deputy chief minister and senior Congress leader.

Searches were carried out at Shree Siddhartha Medical College and Research, Shree Siddhartha Institute of Technology and other premises owned by Parameshwara and his associates.

"We welcome the raids on our institutions. Let them review all documents," read a statement from Parameshwara's office.

The raids triggered sharp reactions from the Congress leadership.

"The series of IT raids on @DrParameshwara, RL Jalappa & others, are politically motivated with malafide intention. They are only targeting @INCKarnataka leaders as they have failed to face us on policy & corruption issues.

We won't budge to any such tactics!!," Siddaramaiah, Congress' leader of opposition in the assembly posted on Twitter on Thursday.

The issue is likely to add to the fireworks expected in the beginning of the three-day winter session on Thursday in Bengaluru. Senior Congress leaders like P. Chidambaram and D.K. Shivakumar among others are currently lodged in jail and under probe by the Enforcement Directorate and other investigation agencies.

In the run up to last year's assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls too, the Congress had accused the union government of misusing investigation agencies to target and silence political opposition in the country.