BJD, Congress, BJP in slugfest over I-T raids on Odisha distilleries

With the income-tax department seizing over Rs 350-crore unaccounted cash during a series of raids on distilleries, three major political parties in Odisha have virtually entered into a slugfest, accusing each other of patronising illegality in the country-liquor trade in the state.

While the opposition BJP on Monday organised demonstrations in all sub-divisions, the ruling BJD held a press conference in a bid to expose the "evil design" of the saffron party.

The Congress, in a statement, blamed both the BJD and BJP and claimed that it was unnecessarily dragged into the controversy.

The income-tax department continued its searches in different places linked to an Odisha-based distillery group on charges of tax evasion for the sixth consecutive day on Monday, recovering unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 353 crore so far.

Responding to a call by BJP state president Manmohan Samal, party leaders and workers took part in the protests across the state, holding placards and banners.

They claimed that BJD MLAs, ministers and state government officials were hand-in-glove with Jharkhand Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu, who is allegedly involved in liquor trade in the state.

Samal alleged that the BJD government had given authority to the Sahu brothers to undertake country-liquor business in the state for last 23 years.

"The state government has not auctioned country-liquor business in Odisha. Licenses were renewed instead of being auctioned," Samal said, holding the BJD administration responsible for accumulation of black money in different distilleries and liquor joints.

"When a central agency such as the IT department could know about the huge black money, what was the role of Odisha police, intelligence, excise department, vigilance and economic offences wing?" he said.

Meanwhile, in the press conference, the BJD came down heavily on Odisha BJP leaders, and pointed out that while the party's central leadership criticised the Congress by calling it as the storehouse of corruption, in Odisha, the BJP leaders instead attack the regional party.

"In a way, Odisha BJP leaders have pledged to somehow save the Congress on this issue," BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said, adding that the saffron party in the state was doing this for its own political interests.

Congress spokesperson Rajani Mohanty in a statement said the BJD and BJP are two sides of the same coin.

"The allegations against the Congress by the BJD and BJP are laughable. The Congress has been dragged into the controversy," he said.