'Ghamandia' Alliance Mum On Odisha I-T Raid, Amit Shah Says In RS. Oppn Stages Walkout

Union Home Minister Amit Shah taunted the I.N.D.I.A. bloc on Rs 353 crore cash seizure in Odisha saying the "ghamandiya" alliance was mum over it. The Opposition staged a walkout to protest the remarks.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.

Source : PTI

The recent income tax raids on a distillery company owned by the family of a Congress MP have ignited a political storm with Union Home Minister Amit Shah pointing to the delay in taking action against the MP, raising questions about the highest-ever cash seizure of Rs 353 crore during the raids.

Without naming the party and the Member of Parliament, Shah remarked in the Rajya Sabha, "Just now, at an MP's place in Jharkhand, I don't want to say which party he is from but the entire world knows about it, so much cash has been found that even bank's cashiers say that they have never seen so much of cash."

"It has been five days of continuous counting and 27 cash machines deployed for counting have also heated up. None of the Ghamandia alliance (in an apparent reference to the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc) has neither commented on it nor suspended him. Not a single one (of them)," he added.

Opposition Objects To Amit Shah's Remarks On I.N.D.I.A.

The Opposition walked out of Rajya Sabha during Amit Shah's address in Rajya Sabha.

"Opposition MPs walked out because when there was a discussion going on J&K's issue, he (Amit Shah) constantly kept saying 'Ghamandiya gathbandhan'... Our LoP stood up and asked him to speak on Kashmir's issue, and why he had so many issues with the INDIA alliance," Congress MP Rajiv Shukla told ANI.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi voiced her discontent with Shah's remarks, stating, "Whenever we were diverting from J&K's issue, we were getting reminders from the Chairman not to divert away from the topic but when Union HM in his reply, diverted from J&K's issue and started speaking on Dheeraj Sahu and his corruption, we decided to walk out from the Parliament."

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari termed his speech as "gaalion ki bauchhar". "The one who is no more in this world was also abused. We walked out as 'ghamandiya' term kept being used even when the entire House raised an objection. But he didn't withdraw the remark as he was drunk in arrogance. So, we thought it better to boycott the House and not listen to abuses," he added.

Odisha I-T Raid: Highest-Ever Cash Seizure In India

The income tax raids targeted Boudh Distillery Pvt. Ltd. (BDPL), headquartered in Bhubaneswar, resulting in the highest-ever cash seizure in India. An interim report on the action has been sent to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in Delhi, news agency PTI reported. The raids, launched on December 6, focused on charges of alleged tax evasion and out-of-book transactions.

The searches covered about 30-34 premises in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, as per PTI. Along with Rs 353 crore in cash, approximately 3 kg of gold jewellery was also seized. The investigation has shifted towards hawala operators and shell companies that were allegedly involved in channelling illicit funds, PTI reported citing official sourcres. The premises of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu in Ranchi and other locations were included in the searches.

Earlier in the day, BJP MPs, led by party chief J P Nadda, staged a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament Complex, alleging corruption within the Congress. Nadda remarked, "This is just the tip of the iceberg... Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will have to answer whose money it is and how it was looted", as quoted by PTI.

'Haven't Seen Rs 350 Crores In My Life': Congress MP Chidambaram On Odisha I-T Raid

The Congress has distanced itself from the MP, asserting that the party has no connection to his business.

In response to questions about the cash seizure, Chidambaram emphasised, "I have not seen Rs 350 crores in my life. In fact, if you ask me, how many zeros are there, I will have to count", as quoted by PTI.

Chidambaram reiterated the Congress's stance, asserting that the party is not linked to the seized cash. "The Congress party has nothing to do with the seizure of cash allegedly belonging to an individual or his business. We only run a party, where there is a party and there are members in the party for political purposes. We are not concerned about the business of an individual. He will explain when he chooses to explain," he said, as per PTI.

Last week, AICC general secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh stated that 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," he wrote on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Sunday, questioned the silence of INDIA bloc leaders, suggesting that their propaganda about probe agencies being misused was driven by the fear of exposure. The political fallout from these raids is likely to intensify as the Opposition demands answers, and the ruling party seeks to capitalize on allegations of corruption.

Subscribe And Follow ABP Live On Telegram: https://t.me/officialabplive