Patna/New Delhi: Income-tax sleuths carried out raids and surveys at around 22 locations in Delhi and nearby areas over the alleged benami deals worth Rs 1,000 crore linked to RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family and others.
The RJD chief could face the newly-enacted Benami Transactions Act 1988, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and a fine on him as well as the other accused. Some documents and computer hardware have been seized from the premises under search.
Lalu Yadav unfazed by raids, slams BJP
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has raised questions on the raids which were conducted to check benami land deals involving Lalu Yadav and family.
Mr. Kumar said, “Purpose of the raid is still not clear and there is confusion on the location of the raids as well”.
Sources said Nitish Kumar’s statement came after Lalu Yadav took a veiled jibe at Nitish Kumar by congratulating BJP “on the new alliance partner” through a tweet message.
His message was apparently directed at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who in a statement on Monday had said that the Centre was free to carry out the probe in benami land deals involving Lalu Yadav and his family.
Unfazed by the I-T raids, on Tuesday RJD chief Lalu Yadav had summoned senior party leaders to draw strategies to counter BJP which had earlier produced documents to expose dubious transactions and benami land deals involving his family members. Through a series of tweets, Mr. Yadav slammed the BJP for using central agencies against him.
He said, “BJP doesn’t have the courage to stop Lalu Yadav. If you try to suppress my voice I will only emerge even stronger as people understand everything. I am not scared of hollow threats”.
In another tweet he wrote, “Educated illiterates must also say on which 22 locations raids were carried out. Sarkari Tote (government’s parrots) must come out with the truth as I am not scared of people funded by BJP. I will continue to fight against fascist forces”.
RJD national spokesperson Manoj Jha clarified Lalu’s “new alliance” jibe at the BJP by claiming that the NDA government was “using” the I-T department, the CBI and other central agencies as its “alliance partners” against its adversaries, including the RJD chief.
