The Income Tax Department raided the houses of Akhilesh Yadav’s personal aides and SP leader Rajeev Rai on Saturday, infuriating the party chairman.
On Saturday, amid allegations of income tax searches at the houses of Samajwadi Party (SP) officials and supporters, party president Akhilesh Yadav slammed the governing BJP, accusing it of deploying government agencies to frighten the opposition.
“The BJP is following in the footsteps of the Congress. Take a look at the Congress’s past: anytime it needed to scare someone, it used these core agencies. The BJP is doing the same thing now “Akhilesh Yadav said.
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections just around the doorstep, the former UP chief minister continued his assault on the incumbent party, saying the BJP now stood exposed in front of the people, who were solidly on the Opposition’s side.
“As the BJP’s dread of loss grows, so will the round of raids on the opposition,” he vowed, “but the SP’s rath yatra and every other programme will go on uninterrupted.”
Akhilesh Yadav also accused the saffron party of failing to deliver on its election promise of bringing “Ram Rajya” to the state.
“The BJP promised to introduce Ram Rajya to India. The route of socialism, on the other hand, would lead to Ram Rajya. We shall have Ram Rajya if socialism comes to power “he said emphatically.
Around 7 a.m., a team of Varanasi I-T personnel arrived in Mau early Saturday morning and started searching Rai’s residence in the Sahadatpura neighbourhood. For the last two hours, the SP leader and his family have been confined to their home. When SP employees learned of the raids, they gathered outside Rai’s house and caused a ruckus. To ensure law and order and keep the situation under control, police have been sent.
The IRS raids on Rajeev Rai are thought to be related to tax evasion.
Raids are also being carried out by the I-T department at the homes of RCL group owner Manoj Yadav in Mainpuri and Jainendra Yadav in Lucknow. Both individuals are close to SP president Akhilesh Yadav, according to reports.
I-T authorities came in a convoy of 12 cars in Mainpuri and blocked off Manoj Yadav’s home. No one is permitted to enter or exit the home. Officials are searching for persons and interrogating them.
Jainendra Yadav’s residence in Lucknow’s Ambedkar Park neighborhood is also being searched. After five hours, a six-person team of income tax officers with stacks of paperwork appeared. Hard drives and other electronic items were allegedly taken from Yadav’s home.
