After the Income Tax Department conducted raids at the premises of perfume baron and Samajwadi Party legislator Pushpraj Jain 'Pampi' in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj on Friday, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today responded to allegations regarding searches on properties of the fragrance businessmen.
Speaking to reporters after GST Council meeting, Ms Sitharaman attacking Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav asked if the former UP chief minister is scared and shaken due to these searches?
Strengthening her attack on the SP chief she also said, "He should not raise doubts about the professionalism of the organization." "The height of seized cash is proof that law enforcement agencies are working honestly... Should we wait for post-poll 'muhurta' or catch the thief today itself?" she added.
Speaking about the raids, she clarified that today's Income Tax raids at the properties of perfume businessmen and SP MLC Pushpraj Jain and others are also being carried out based on actionable intelligence.
"Unconnected materials are surfacing in today's IT raids," she added.
"It is not BJP money," she said when asked about opposition charge that the Rs 197.49 crore cash recovered from perfume maker Peeyush Jain in UP's Kannauj was her party's money and the tax authorities had raided the person by "mistake" and are now raiding the other Jain they had originally wanted to target.
Her remarks on Akhilesh Yadav comes after he said that the BJP is misusing central investigating agencies to target Opposition members.
Addressing a press conference in Kannauj, the SP chief said, "BJP is trying to pollute SP's name. Those who spread the smell of hatred will not like the fragrance of the perfume. Earlier they have mistakenly conducted raids at the residence of their own man and now to cover that they are conducting searches on residences SP leaders."
The Income Tax department on Friday raided multiple premises linked to certain perfume traders in Uttar Pradesh, including an SP MLC from Kannauj, as part of a tax evasion investigation, according to PTI.
(with agency inputs)
