The State Bank of India’s main branch in Bolangir, Odisha, is where the cash counting at the Congress MP’s stronghold is happening. By midnight, all of the money will be tallied, according to SBI officials. Bhagat Behera, the Regional Manager for SBI, said earlier today that 140 of the 176 bags they had received had been tallied.
There are still several rooms and almirahs that need to be inspected. Three-term Rajya Sabha MP Sahu is a member of a family that controls the liquor industry in the east. Efforts to count currency accelerate as machinery is being brought in from Hyderabad. A little over 17 kg of gold and silver jewelry had been taken in the operations. The Congress was chastised by Prime Minister Modi for its blatant dishonesty on matters of corruption.
IT Takeovers of Dhiraj Sahu
As per the officials, the IT team conducted searches on sites connected to Sahu and retrieved a substantial amount of cash against Boudh Distillery Private Limited, which is situated in Odisha, and its associated organizations.
Authorities also said that the amount of cash seized during searches by the income-tax department exceeded ₹300 crore. Sunday was the fifth day of the taxman’s searches against Boudh Distillery Private Limited, its promoters, and others, which began on December 6 in response to allegations of tax evasion. Details reveal that this is the largest cash seizure ever carried out by a national body in retaliation against a single gang and its companies.
Additionally, the IT staff thinks that the entire currency cache represents “unaccounted” revenue that the business group, distributors, and others made from the cash sales of country liquor. The comments made by the executives and other employees who were present at the searched places are being recorded by the IT department. The company’s principal backers may shortly get summonses to provide statements.
Congress’s statements on Sahu and IT raids
Congress stated on Saturday that the Jharkhand MP has to explain and that the party has no affiliation with the former’s enterprises. Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, said on the social networking platform X that only Dhiraj Sahu could account for the enormous sums of money that had allegedly been discovered in his houses by income-tax officials.
The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dheeraj Sahu, MP,” Jairam Ramesh said in response to X. It is only right that he explains the enormous sums of money that the income-tax authorities are purportedly able to retrieve from his assets.
Following the raids, the Congress withdrew its support from Dheeraj Sahu, the MP for Jharkhand in the Rajya Sabha on Saturday. Dheeraj Sahu, MP’s enterprises are unrelated to the Indian National Congress. In a post on X, AICC general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh stated, “Only he can and should explain how huge amounts of cash have reportedly been unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties.”Banna Gupta, the minister of health for Jharkhand, said on Sunday that his party was unrelated to it.
Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu’s previous remark on “black money”
Amit Malviya, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), criticized Jharkhand Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu for his post on black money, referring to Sahu’s controversial post on the recovery of over Rs 335 crore from a liquor company linked to him, highlighting his dark sense of humor. Shehzad Poonawalla, a leader of the BJP, has expressed concern about the potential loss of 52 MPs, or the strength of Congress in the Lok Sabha if a significant amount is recovered from one MP.
The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah, has continued its attacks on Congress, despite Sahu’s old post. Modi emphasized the importance of returning every penny looted from people, stating that every penny will be returned, a guarantee backed by Congress leaders.
BJP strikes back in protest
Members of parliament will stage a protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament on Monday to voice their opposition to the confiscation of funds from properties connected to Congressman Dheeraj Sahu. Meenakshi Lekhi, a BJP politician and union minister, claimed on Saturday that the Congress has attempted to pass BJP corruption down from generation to generation.
The BJP and Congress have been accused of spreading corruption among corrupt people, with cash recovered from Dheeraj Sahu’s premises reaching ₹300 crore. Meenakshi Lekhi alleged that Congress has been spreading corruption from generation to generation. Local MLA CP Singh alleged that the Congress provides patronage to corruption and called for the BJP to expose and eradicate it from the country.
BJP questions Rahul Gandhi’s lack of response
Millions of rupees have been seized, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, yet the whole INDI alliance has remained mute. He remarked on Sunday, “I know Congress is silent because corruption is in their DNA, but JDU, RJD, DMK, and SP are all sitting quietly.”
The Opposition has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misuse of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Income Tax Department. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy criticized Rahul Gandhi’s close friend Dheeraj Sahu for not speaking out about the seized ₹200 crore from Sahu’s offices, citing Congress’s support for corruption. BJP MP K Laxman questioned the silence of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi on the issue, arguing that a Congress government is characterized by corruption and that Modi’s zero tolerance against corruption could lead to the Congress being exposed. The campaign against Modi aims to expose the Centre’s involvement in corruption.
