Both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress engaged in a political slugfest on Saturday over the Income Tax department’s raids at Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu’s residence in Odisha and the reported recovery of ₹290 crore in cash from entities linked to his companies.
The BJP took its cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on social media on Friday that people should look at the pile of notes confiscated from Mr. Sahu and then listen to the honest ‘speeches’ of the leaders, launching an all-out attack against the Opposition party. Several of the BJP’s State units also held protests against corruption in front of Congress offices. The Congress tried to distance itself from Mr. Sahu and asked the BJP to stop dragging the party into the controversy.
“Whatever has been looted from the public, every penny will have to be returned, this is Modi’s guarantee,” the PM had said. On Saturday, Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi told reporters at a press conference at the BJP’s headquarters that the cash seized from Mr. Sahu was the biggest haul seized from corrupt persons so far. “This shows how the Congress has spread corruption generation after generation and the tradition of corruption has been kept alive. ₹300 crore recovered from just one Congress leader and counting is still on. Imagine if all the corrupt leaders of Congress are kept together, how many notes will be recovered,” she said.
The Congress refuted the allegations and distanced itself from Mr. Sahu. “The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dheeraj Sahu, MP. Only he can explain, and should explain, how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the Income Tax authorities from his properties,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.
Another Congress leader, Manickam Tagore, asked the BJP not to drag the Congress into the matter. “Why Mr. PM is doing this cheap politics linking a business of Sahu family with Congress?” he asked, adding that Mr. Sahu had been in the liquor business for quite a long time.
The Income Tax departments continued its raid at Mr. Sahu’s residence at Radium Road in Ranchi for the fourth consecutive day. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were present with the IT team.
Three bags have been recovered from the Congress MP’s residence, as well as an Innova car with an Odisha number plate. Till Friday, over ₹220 crore in cash had been recovered from places linked to the Odisha-based distillery group owned by Mr. Sahu and his family.
On December 6, the IT team had conducted raids at Sahu’s ancestral Lohardaga residence, from where around ₹7 crore cash is reported to have been recovered. Raids were also carried out at Sabalpur, Bolangir, Titilagarh, Boudh, Sudargarh, Rourkela, and Bhubaneswar.
Independent MLA from Jamshedpur and a senior Jharkhand leader, Saryu Roy told The Hindu, “Sahu’s family has long and old association with the Congress party. His father late Baldev Prasad Sahu was in Congress. They are the third generation who are in the Congress party. At one time, during the election campaign, former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi had stayed at his residence in Lohardaga. Many cricketers and film stars used to make a beeline to his residence.”
Mr. Sahu comes from an influential family, whose main business is related to liquor and whose firms are largely located in Odisha. His father was a freedom fighter and had received the title of Rai Saheb after actively taking part in the struggle for Independence. The Ranchi residence where the raids are being conducted was named Sushila Niktan, after his mother Sushil Devi.
His elder brother, the late Shivprasad Sahu, was also a Congress MP from Ranchi twice. In 2019, another brother Gopal Sahu had contested elections from Hazaribagh, but lost against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jayant Sinha, son of former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha. Mr. Sahu has six brothers, and a son named Harshit.
This is Mr. Sahu’s third term in the Rajya Sabha; but has been unsuccessful in both attempts to contest the Chatra Lok Sabha seat.
“Dhiraj Sahu does not carry the surname ‘Modi’ like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi; that’s why he is being targeted. IT has not issued any official statement but the Prime Minister is reacting based on the paper cuttings. When the right time comes, Diraj Sahu will present his side as well,” Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur said.
Jharkhand BJP state president and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi had demanded Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s resignation on Friday, alleging that the seized money had a connection with the CM’s house.
On Saturday, former BJP State president and Rajya Sabha member Deepak Prakash too alleged that the Congress party has a close relationship with corruption.
“This corruption cannot happen without the support of the JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) government running the state. Congress and corruption have a close relationship. Whenever Congress has come to power, whether it is at the Centre or in State, rampant corruption has taken place. Dhiraj Sahu has a close relationship with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi,” Mr. Prakash alleged.
JMM general secretary and spokesperson of the Central committee Supriyo Bhattacharya said, “Without the official confirmation from the IT officials, a narrative is being set about the raid and political colour is being given. There was a time when Babulal Marandi used to work under Mr. Sahu’s family. He is demanding CM’s resignation, then he should also ask for resignation from the PM as well because Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel are with him now.”
(With inputs from Amit Bhelari)
