Methodology adopted in I-T raids is attack on federal structure: Digvijay
| Date :10-Apr-2019 |
Staff Reporter:
Congress candidate for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, Digvijay Singh has taken umbrage over the methodology adopted in recent income tax raids in Bhopal, Indore, Delhi and Goa by telling that the manner in which Delhi I-T officials came along with CRPF personnel and conducted raid is violation of federal system and it’s a sort of attack on it. Digvijay Singh said that normally CBDT, I-T Department, Enforcement Department etc did not give any statement within 90 days of raid and statement of CBDT in connection with recent I-T raids is a first incident in itself. He was of the view that without intimidating State Government, no action could be taken under federal structure and now Union Finance Minister should give his reply over the issue.
Moreover, he told that one of the persons covered under I-T raid had himself told that he is a BJP supporter. Indirectly referring to former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he said that had the raid been conducted against ‘Mamaji’ then no one knows how much money could have been recovered. Notably, Delhi I-T officials, accompanied by CRPF personnel, carried out raids against OSD to CM, Praveen Kakkar, his Personal Secretary Rajendra Mriglani, Ashwin Sharma, Prateek Joshi, Ratul Puri etc. As many as 50 premises were covered under raid in Bhopal, Indore, Delhi and Goa.
The raids have kicked up political storm as some persons close to CM Kamal Nath were covered in the raids. It was on Monday night that CBDT issued statement claiming that searches in Madhya Pradesh have detected wide-spread and well-organised racket of collection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore through various persons in different walks of life including business, politics and public service. A part of the cash was also transferred to the headquarters of a major political party in Delhi including about Rs 20 crore which was moved through hawala recently to the headquarters of the political party from the residence of a senior functionary at Tughlak Road, New Delhi.