Dhiraj Sahu IT raids: Congress seeks clarification from Jharkhand MP as BJP launches protest | Top developments

Apart from this, Pandey clarified that is it a private matter of Dheeraj Sahu and the party has nothing to do with it.

Speaking to the media at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda airport on 10 December, Pandey said, as quoted by PTI, “Since he is Congress MP, he should make an official statement about how such a big amount of money came to him.”

He also said, “The party has a clear-cut stand that it is a private matter of Dheeraj Sahu, which has nothing to do with the Congress party.”

Though Pandey said the IT department has so far not made any official statement regarding the raid and recovery.

ALSO READ: Dhiraj Sahu IT raids: Recovery amount crosses ₹300 crore; BJP slams Rahul Gandhi says, ‘Why are you silent now?’ 

“The family has business establishment for more than 100 years here and it is the joint business of the family. Dheeraj Sahu is just a part of the business. But, Sahu should clarify how such a big amount came to him,” Pandey said.

Meanwhile, he said an official statement should also come from the Income Tax department about the quantity of cash and how it came.

Conspiracy:

Speaking at Congress headquarters, Pandey alleged that a conspiracy is being carried out to defame the opposition parties in the country.

“Since the day a majority alliance government came to power in Jharkhand, BJP has been hatching a conspiracy to destabilize it. This is not only in Jharkhand but the conspiracy is being done against all non-BJP governments elected through democratic process in the country under ‘Operation Lotus’. BJP is doing it openly without caring about any constitutional values,” he said.

BJP hits out, to protest:

On Monday, BJP MPs will hold a protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament as part of a protest against the seizure of cash from some premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu.

Union Minister and BJP leader Meenakashi Lekhi said on Saturday that Congress has tried to spread corruption from generation to generation.

“The amount of cash recovered from Dheeraj Sahu’s premises is the highest among corrupt people so far. Its amount has reached ₹300 crore…Congress has tried to spread corruption from generation to generation,” said Meenakashi Lekhi.

On Sunday statewide rallies and dharnas were staged in several other district headquarters, including Chaibasa, Jamshedpur, and Bokaro.

At the BJP protest near Raj Bhavan in Ranchi, local MLA CP Singh alleged that it has been the ‘tradition of the Congress’ to engage in loot, scam, and corruption.

“The Congress provides patronage to corruption. So, the BJP must expose it and eradicate it from the country,” he said.

BJP questions Rahul Gandhi’s silence:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said crores of rupees have been recovered, but the whole INDI alliance is silent. “I understand Congress is silent as corruption is in their nature but JDU, RJD, DMK, and SP all are sitting silently,” he said on Sunday.

Shah added that a “campaign” was run against Prime Minister Naredra Modi because “there was a fear in their mind that all the secrets of their corruption would be revealed…”. He was referring to the Opposition’s allegations that the central agencies, such as the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax Department, are being misused by the Centre.

Union minister G Kishan Reddy said Sahu was Rahul Gandhi’s close friend.

“From Rahul Gandhi’s close friend and Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu’s offices, around ₹200 crore was seized by I-T…I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, why haven’t you posted anything about this on social media? Why haven’t you spoken anything about this? Because Congress always supports corruption,” he added.

BJP MP K Laxman questioned Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi’s silence over the issue. “Where there is a Congress Government, only corruption is there….PM Modi has a vision of zero tolerance against corruption… PM Modi will not leave the corruption and soon the Congress will be exposed,” he said.

IT Raids:

According to officials, premises linked to Sahu were also covered as part of the searches by the IT team which recovered a huge pile of cash against Odisha-based Boudh Distillery Private Limited and entities linked to it.

Officials even claimed that the cash seizure in the income-tax department’s searches has gone past ₹300 crore.

The raids against Boudh Distillery Private Limited, its promoters and others, launched on December 6 by the taxman on charges of tax evasion, entered the fifth day on Sunday.

As per details, this is the highest-ever cash seizure made by an agency in the country as part of an action against a single group and entities linked to it. Also, the IT department believes that the entire cache of currency is ‘unaccounted’ money earned from cash sales of country liquor by the business group, distributors, and others.

The IT department is recording the statements of the executives and other staff who were present at the searched locations. Soon it will issue summonses to the main promoters of the company for recording their statements.

With agency inputs.

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Published: 10 Dec 2023, 07:54 PM IST