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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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
