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‘Whose money…’: BJP questions Rahul Gandhi over ₹300 crore Dhiraj Sahu recovery
Dhiraj Sahu raid: JP Nadda said Rahul Gandhi will have to answer for the recovery of cash by the Income Tax Department.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday targeted Rahul Gandhi over the reported recovery of heaps of cash at locations linked to Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu, saying the law will hold them accountable and will not give up their pursuit.
The Income Tax department has recovered more than ₹300 crore cash from the premises of a distillery company owned by Sahu's brother in Odisha's Balangir. As the marathon search operation entered its sixth day, new counting machines were brought this morning.
“Brother, you and your leader Rahul Gandhi will have to answer. This is new India; here, exploitation of the masses in the name of the royal family will not be allowed. You will be tired running away but the law will not give up pursuit. If Congress is the guarantee of corruption, Narendra Modi is the guarantee of action against corruption. The public's money will have to be returned,” BJP chief JP Nadda wrote on X in Hindi.
Union minister G Kishan Reddy questioned Rahul Gandhi's silence over the matter.
"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi why is he silent on I-T searches against Dhiraj Sahu? You always criticise the Income Tax Department but why are you silent now?" he said.
The Income Tax department has recovered more than ₹300 crore from the premises of Boudh Distilleries Private Limited. It expects the total amount of seizure to exceed ₹350 crore.
The Sahu family owns the distillery company, which makes country liquor. The department has searched the premises and houses of the liquor baron as well as people associated with him.
Dhiraj Sahu is a Rajya Member from Jharkhand. The raids were initiated following "actionable intelligence" regarding significant "out of book" sales and cash remittances by liquor distributors, sellers, and business groups. Out of ₹300 crore, ₹250 crore were recovered from several almirahs at the company's premises in Bolangir.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan today attacked the Opposition over the recovery of cash.
"This is an old tradition of opposition leaders, first they will do corruption and once they're caught, they will try to brush it aside. Who is involved in this and who is not, needs to be investigated. Whoever is found guilty during the investigation, action must be taken against that person," he said.
BJP leader LK Bajpai said Rahul Gandhi must answer whose money was it.
"This incident has shown mirror to those who regularly used to speak against the CBI and ED and had formed the INDI alliance to save themselves. Rahul Gandhi should answer whose money it was," he added.
Congress has distanced itself from Dhiraj Sahu.
"We have been hearing from childhood that these people run liquor businesses and earn sacks of money... However, the recovery of such a large amount of cash from his (Dhiraj Sahu) house is surprising. Dhiraj Sahu and his family should now justify this... who keeps so much money in houses... this is surprising," said Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay on I-T searches against party MP Dhiraj Sahu in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Jharkhand health minister and Congress leader Banna Gupta said: "Dheeraj Sahu and his father are family people. They belong to a big business and a big family. They have been doing their big business for hundreds of years... Where is this money coming from? It is a matter of perspective, this should be clarified by the Income Tax Department. It is not that this is bribe money. The investigation is being done, and after the investigation, everything will be crystal clear... It is his personal business, he has nothing to do with the party."
With inputs from PTI, ANI
