Bhubaneswar: Sharpening his attack on the Odisha government over seizure of huge unaccounted cash during ongoing raids by Income Tax department at places linked to a distillery group, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said all those who are answerable on the issue cannot remain silent.
Asserting that the Narendra Modi government will not allow people involved in the accumulation of huge black money to go scot-free, however influential and powerful they may be. Those who have looted the poor people’s money will be sent to jail, he said.
Stating that a Congress MP’s name is appearing in the case, Dharmendra said the senior leader’s family was reportedly running liquor business in Odisha smoothly for a long time without any hassles or interruption.
Therefore, people here are answerable and those who have kept their mouth shut cannot remain silent, the senior BJP leader told reporters, adding that these people will have to answer. He was indirectly targeting to the state government.
Notably, the Union Minister had already questioned as to how the Odisha government agencies are clueless about the illegal trade and accumulation of unaccounted wealth.
Voicing concern over the recovery of such a huge cash from three states during simultaneous I-T raids, Dharmendra has sought to know the prime source of the wealth. Some people from Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand are reported to be linked with the ill-gotten money, he said in a post on X.
Indirectly questioning the silence of the state government, the BJP leader said what surprised many in the state is that some people who are trumpeting their honesty are not uttering a word about it.
The silence of political leaders who have been sermonising about morality and ethics has not only baffled the public but created suspicion about what they preach.
Asserting the money stolen from people will be recovered, Pradhan said this is the guarantee of the Narendra Modi government.
