BJP targets Congress over IT raids against Dhiraj Prasad Sahu

Both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress engaged in a political slugfest on Saturday over the Income Tax department’s raids at Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu

Both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress engaged in a political slugfest on Saturday over the Income Tax department’s raids at Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu’s residence in Odisha and the reported recovery of ₹290 crore in cash from entities linked to his companies.

The BJP took its cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on social media on Friday that people should look at the pile of notes confiscated from Mr. Sahu and then listen to the honest ‘speeches’ of the leaders, launching an all-out attack against the Opposition party. Several of the BJP’s State units also held protests against corruption in front of Congress offices. The Congress tried to distance itself from Mr. Sahu and asked the BJP to stop dragging the party into the controversy.

“Whatever has been looted from the public, every penny will have to be returned, this is Modi’s guarantee,” the PM had said. On Saturday, Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi told reporters at a press conference at the BJP’s headquarters that the cash seized from Mr. Sahu was the biggest haul seized from corrupt persons so far. “This shows how the Congress has spread corruption generation after generation and the tradition of corruption has been kept alive. ₹300 crore recovered from just one Congress leader and counting is still on. Imagine if all the corrupt leaders of Congress are kept together, how many notes will be recovered,” she said.

The Congress refuted the allegations and distanced itself from Mr. Sahu. “The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dheeraj Sahu, MP. Only he can explain, and should explain, how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the Income Tax authorities from his properties,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

Another Congress leader, Manickam Tagore, asked the BJP not to drag the Congress into the matter. “Why Mr. PM is doing this cheap politics linking a business of Sahu family with Congress?” he asked, adding that Mr. Sahu had been in the liquor business for quite a long time.

The Income Tax departments continued its raid at Mr. Sahu’s residence at Radium Road in Ranchi for the fourth consecutive day. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were present with the IT team.

Three bags have been recovered from the Congress MP’s residence, as well as an Innova car with an Odisha number plate. Till Friday, over ₹220 crore in cash had been recovered from places linked to the Odisha-based distillery group owned by Mr. Sahu and his family.