Why Centre targets only Congress and not BJP? asks CM Siddaramaiah on Dhiraj Sahu I-T raids
Bengaluru, Dec 10: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday accused the Centre of targeting only the Congress and not the BJP, in the wake of seizure of unaccounted cash amounting to over Rs 200 crore from premises allegedly linked to Jharkhand Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu.
He was reacting to the recent Income Tax raids on the entities linked to Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu in Jharkhand and Odisha.
"They (BJP led central government) are only targeting Congress. Let them raid BJP leaders as well. Only then will it be known how much (ill-gotten wealth) they have," Siddaramaiah told reporters.
The CM said whoever amasses black money is wrong, according to the Income Tax Act. Let the I-T department take action as per law.
However, Siddaramaiah's grouse was that the central agencies were selectively targeting the Congress.
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"Why their action is aimed at only Congress leaders and not BJP? Huge money will be found if BJP people are raided,' the Chief Minister said.
A huge pile of cash has been recovered so far in the searches conducted by the Income Tax department against Odisha-based Boudh Distillery Private Limited and entities linked to it.
Premises linked to Sahu were also covered as part of the searches, according to officials.
The seizure amount is expected to reach Rs 290 crore, making it the "highest-ever" black money haul by any agency in a single operation, they added.
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Family of injured driver in murder of Suvendu's aide seeks exemplary punishment
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Buddhabeb Bera, the driver injured in the shooting that killed BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and urged the new government to ensure such incidents do not happen in West Bengal.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram near Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering a political storm in the state. Bera, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Family members said they learned about the incident through television and immediately left for Kolkata.
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"We came to know from TV reports that my nephew had been shot. We still do not know who carried out the attack or why it happened," Buddhabeb's uncle Biswajit Bera said.
"Our only wish now is that he recovers and returns home safely," he added.
Buddhabeb, 25, hails from Majnaberia village in the Chandipur police station area in Purba Medinipur district.
According to family members, he mostly stays in Kolkata for work and visits home occasionally during weekends.
Besides his parents, his younger brother, sister-in-law and several relatives have also travelled to Kolkata following the incident.
Demanding strict action against the perpetrators, the uncle said, "We want the government to conduct a proper investigation and identify those directly involved in the crime. They should be given exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again in West Bengal and no other family has to go through this grief."
A neighbour, Ranjana Ghorai, also sought stringent punishment for those behind the attack.
"In our neighbourhood, we call him Sona. We want exemplary punishment for the people responsible for this incident," she said.
Rath's family members have demanded life imprisonment for the accused, while Adhikari has called for capital punishment for those involved in the killing.
