Bhubaneswar: The recovery of hundreds of crores of rupees during the ongoing raids at places liked to a distillery group by the Income Tax department officials has triggered a political row in Odisha.
With the seizure of unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 300 crore during raids at several places in Odisha reportedly linked to a Congress MP from Jharkhand, leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday trained their guns at the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress.
Expressing surprise shock over massive cash haul, Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wondered whether many more politicians from Odisha were also involved in the corruption.
Stating that the news of hundreds of crores of rupees being seized in Odisha has stunned him, Dharmendra said in a post on X that it is a matter of concern that such a huge amount of unaccounted money has been seized simultaneously during raids by central agencies. Some people from the states of Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand are reported to be related to this money, he said.
Wanting to know the source of this wealth, the senior BJP leader sought to know the truth. “Are some people of Odisha linked to the seized black money? Why are some people who claim to be flag bearers of truth and honesty silent on this matter?” the Union Minister asked.
Noting that the people of the country including Odisha are now relying on ‘Modi Ki Guarantee,’ Dharmendra said corruption will not be allowed in Narendra Modi government. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all the looted money will be recovered and strict action taken against those involved in the corrupt act, he added.
BJP’s Odisha unit president Mnmohan Samal also slammed the BJD government in the state accusing it of having close links with the liquor traders. Terming the seizure of huge unaccounted cash during the I-T raids as a matter of shame for the state, he dared Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to recommend a CBI probe into the episode.
Seeking to know as to why the Chief Minister is silent on the issue, Samal demanded a thorough investigation into the huge black money recovered during the ongoing I-T raids.
Speaking in same vein, BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi lashed out at Congress and said the grand old party is synonymous with corruption.
While Narendra Modi government gives ‘vikas ki guarantee’, Congress is giving ‘ghotala ki guarantee’, she said, adding that there has been no corruption under the BJP-led government since 2014.
However, the country was hit by a series of scams during the previous Congress regime, the BJP MP said, adding that many people in Boudh, Balangir, Sundargarh, Sambalpur and adjoining areas must be involved in amassing unaccounted cash and the I-T department will unearth more money in future.
Another senior BJP leader Lekhashree Samantsinghar claimed that those involved in the liquor racker are hand in glove with the ruling BJD in Odisha.
Several senior BJD leaders, including Ministers and MLAs from western Odisha, are associated with this scam. It is evident that these people have been managing and operating the entire liquor trade in Odisha, she claimed.
Senior BJD and Congress leaders were not immediately available for comment on the issue.
