Din in CG House over IT raids; BJP accuses govt of disruption

The Chhattisgarh LegislativeAssembly on Monday witnessed noisy scenes with the opposition MLAs led by the BJP saying that the Congress government is trying to disrupt the ongoing Income Tax raids at the premises linked to its officials and others.A BJP MLA demanded that all ministers in the state be booked on the charge of obstructing the government work.Soon after Question Hour, BJP MLA Shivratan Sharma raked up the issue saying that IT officials launched raids on February 27 at the premises of some officials of the state government, politicians and businessmen."While the raid was going on, the state government tried to disrupt the action. The biggest evidence of this is that during the raid, the four-wheelers being used by IT officials were seized by the local police," he said.Sharma said the action has been taken against corrupt officials and politicians in view of "strong evidence" against them, and demanded a discussion by moving an adjournment motion notice.Senior BJP MLA Nanki Ram Kanwar said the Central agencies have the right to conduct raids all over the country and all ministers should be booked on the charge of obstructing the government work.Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) MLA Dharamjit Singh supported the BJP members on the issue.Former Chief Minister and JCC (J) chief Ajit Jogi said that conducting raids is a normal process and that all should wait for the outcome.Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravindra Choubey said the subject does not belong to this House.Amid uproar from the Opposition and the Treasury benches, Speaker Charan Das Mahant rejected the adjournment motion notice citing it was not according to the rules.Subsequently, opposition MLAs demanded a discussion on the issue.Amid the din, the speaker adjourned the house for five minutes.After the House reassembled, the listed business of the House was taken up.Income Tax officials on February 27 launched searches at about 25 premises linked to Chhattisgarh government officials and others in Raipur.Some of the properties where searches were conducted allegedly had links to A K Tuteja, joint secretary in the state commerce and industry department, retired IAS officer and former chief secretary Vivek Dhand, Raipur Mayor Ezaj Dhebar and his brother Anwar Dhebar, officials said.On February 28, searches were conducted at the house of Saumya Chourasiya, deputy secretary to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in Bhilai town of Durg district and others.However, as Chourasiya's house was locked, IT officials stayed put outside there the entire night on Thursday and on Friday, sources said, adding that the house was sealed.On Monday, Chourasiya reached her house and informed IT officials, following which they launched a search, sources said.Terming the IT raids as "political vendetta", the chief minister had accused the BJP government at the Centre of "weakening" the federal structure and trying to "destablise" his government.The Congress, during a press conference held in Delhi on Sunday, said the "cloak-and-dagger" I-T raids showed that the Centre was "scared" after the state government launched a probe into alleged corruption under the previous BJP government.The party also claimed that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was being used for "political vendetta" like other investigative agencies during the searches.On Monday, CBDT said in Delhi that the Income Tax raids conducted in Chhattisgarh have revealed that "unaccounted cash" sourced from liquor and mining businesses was being paid to public servants every month.Issuing a statement, the board claimed "unaccounted transactions" of over Rs 150 crore have also been unearthed during the searches that were conducted on February 27 against a group of individuals, hawala dealers and businessmen in Raipur that covered over 25 premises.

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Din in CG House over IT raids; BJP accuses govt of disruption

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