In his first media interaction after the recent Income Tax raids on his premises, Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu claimed that the money has nothing to do with his party or any other political outfit. His statements came days after the IT Department unearthed more than Rs 300 crore from different locations of the leader.
Speaking to the media, the Rajya Sabha MP said he is hurt as this is the first time that this kind of incident has taken place in the last 30-35 years of his political career. What is happening today makes me sad. I can admit that the money that has been recovered belongs to my firm. The cash that has been recovered is related to my liquor firms; it is the proceeds from the sale of liquor," Sahu told news agency ANI.
Sahu on how he made fortune
Sahu also gave an account of how he made money through his different businesses including schools, colleges and other entities. "My elder brother has been in politics and we have done a lot of development work. My father used to help the poor and we have opened many colleges and schools. I have a liquor business, which is run by my family and relatives," he said. He further said that his firm has been in business for over 100 years.
"You may also know that transactions in the liquor business are done in cash only. My firm has been in business for over 100 years. The money that has been seized belongs to him," he added.
'No political party is linked to money'
Sahu went on to say that neither Congress nor any other political party had anything to do with the money that had been recovered from his premises. "This money has nothing to do with Congress or any other political party as is being said...The money is not all mine, it belongs to my family and other related firms...IT has raided now, I will give account for everything," he added.
What Sahu said on BJP's allegations?
Responding to the BJP's claim that the cash being black money, Sahu said that let the Income Tax Department decide whether it is 'Kaala Dhan' or 'Safed Dhan'. He also stressed that the money is from the business firms of my family. "Let the side of the Income Tax Department come whether it is 'Kaala Dhan' or 'Safed Dhan'. I am not in the business line. The members of my family will answer this," Sahu added.
IT raids at Sahu's premises
It should be mentioned here that the Income tax officials concluded an IT raid at Sahu's premises in Odisha's Balangir. So far, the IT Department has recovered 351 crore in cash during its searches at Boudh Distillery Private Limited, a company based in Odisha. The company is allegedly linked to Dhiraj Sahu. Meanwhile, the Congress has distanced itself from the massive cash haul from the MP's home asserting that only Sahu can explain the money recovered from the premises connected to him.
(With inputs from ANI)
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