'Corruption in their nature': Amit Shah attacks Congress on Rs 350-cr recovery in tax raid on Dheeraj Sahu
In what turned out to be the "highest-ever" black money haul by any agency in a single operation, the Income Tax Department on Sunday seized unaccounted cash worth Rs 351 crore from premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha and Jharkhand.
- Dec 11, 2023,
- Updated Dec 11, 2023 10:55 AM IST
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hit out at the Congress and the INDIA alliance for their silence over the Income Tax Department raids at MP Dheeraj Sahu's residence and other premises linked to the Congress MP. Shah said that the Congress is silent on this as corruption is in "their nature".
In what turned out to be the "highest-ever" black money haul by any agency in a single operation, the Income Tax Department on Sunday seized unaccounted cash worth Rs 351 crore from premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha and Jharkhand.
The raids started on December 6 and the I-T department has been count 140 out of 176 cash bags so far.
"I am very surprised. After Independence, such a large amount of cash was seized from an MP's house. Crores of rupees have been recovered but the whole INDIA alliance is silent on this corruption. I understand Congress is silent as corruption is in their nature but JDU, RJD, DMK and SP are all sititng silently," Shah told news agency ANI.
He also accused the opposition of being fearful that their corruption would be exposed. Shah also suggested that the opposition's claims that agencies are being misused was mere propaganda.
"Now, I understand why a campaign was run against PM Modi that agencies are being misused. It was run because there was a fear in their mind that all the secrets of their corruption would be revealed," he noted.
Meanwhile, Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar also urged students at IIT Dhanbad to invent a machine that can help in counting notes faster.
"I urge all of you going by the situation we face. Employ your technology, let us invent a machine that can count currency notes at a fast rate. No, it's a problem to human resource. I was looking at the plight of the manager of the bank," Dhankhar said in his address to the students.
In what turned to become a mammoth task, officials from State Bank of India (SBI) branches in Bolangir, Titilagarh and Sambalpur had to count the cash seized at premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha and Jharkhand. The counting involved over 50 officials and 40 cash counting machines.
Bhagat Behera, an SBI Regional Manager, said that they received 176 bags of cash and 140 of them have been counted. He added that the officials are trying to finish the counting work by the end of Sunday since Monday is a working day and machines will have to be returned to the banks.
Most of the cash recovered was from premises linked to Boudh Distillery Private Limited. Dheeraj Sahu's family is reportedly involved in the liquor manufacturing business and owns similar factories in Odisha.
Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta told news agency ANI that Sahu belongs to a major business family and the Income Tax department should conduct an investigation to ascertain information about the source of the cash recovered.
"Dheeraj Sahu belongs to a big family, which has business interests. They have been running their businesses for several years. I believe it is the Income Tax department that should come out with a detailled clarification on the source of the money," he said. He also said that this "is his personal business and has nothing to do with the party."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hit out at the Congress and the INDIA alliance for their silence over the Income Tax Department raids at MP Dheeraj Sahu's residence and other premises linked to the Congress MP. Shah said that the Congress is silent on this as corruption is in "their nature".
In what turned out to be the "highest-ever" black money haul by any agency in a single operation, the Income Tax Department on Sunday seized unaccounted cash worth Rs 351 crore from premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha and Jharkhand.
The raids started on December 6 and the I-T department has been count 140 out of 176 cash bags so far.
"I am very surprised. After Independence, such a large amount of cash was seized from an MP's house. Crores of rupees have been recovered but the whole INDIA alliance is silent on this corruption. I understand Congress is silent as corruption is in their nature but JDU, RJD, DMK and SP are all sititng silently," Shah told news agency ANI.
He also accused the opposition of being fearful that their corruption would be exposed. Shah also suggested that the opposition's claims that agencies are being misused was mere propaganda.
"Now, I understand why a campaign was run against PM Modi that agencies are being misused. It was run because there was a fear in their mind that all the secrets of their corruption would be revealed," he noted.
Meanwhile, Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar also urged students at IIT Dhanbad to invent a machine that can help in counting notes faster.
"I urge all of you going by the situation we face. Employ your technology, let us invent a machine that can count currency notes at a fast rate. No, it's a problem to human resource. I was looking at the plight of the manager of the bank," Dhankhar said in his address to the students.
In what turned to become a mammoth task, officials from State Bank of India (SBI) branches in Bolangir, Titilagarh and Sambalpur had to count the cash seized at premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha and Jharkhand. The counting involved over 50 officials and 40 cash counting machines.
Bhagat Behera, an SBI Regional Manager, said that they received 176 bags of cash and 140 of them have been counted. He added that the officials are trying to finish the counting work by the end of Sunday since Monday is a working day and machines will have to be returned to the banks.
Most of the cash recovered was from premises linked to Boudh Distillery Private Limited. Dheeraj Sahu's family is reportedly involved in the liquor manufacturing business and owns similar factories in Odisha.
Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta told news agency ANI that Sahu belongs to a major business family and the Income Tax department should conduct an investigation to ascertain information about the source of the cash recovered.
"Dheeraj Sahu belongs to a big family, which has business interests. They have been running their businesses for several years. I believe it is the Income Tax department that should come out with a detailled clarification on the source of the money," he said. He also said that this "is his personal business and has nothing to do with the party."