11 December,2023 07:37 PM IST | Latur | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Pic/File
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) women's wing party workers staged a protest in Maharashtra's Latur district on Monday against Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu over a huge recovery of cash from premises linked to him, reported the PTI.
The protesters, led by the BJP women's wing district secretary Surekha Puri, gathered at Murud village and attacked an effigy of Sahu with footwear and burnt it. They also raised slogans and demanded action against the MP, as per the PTI.
A similar protest was held by the city unit of the BJP women's wing at Gandhi Chowk in Latur.
A huge pile of cash was recovered in the searches conducted by the Income-Tax department against Odisha-based Boudh Distillery Private Limited and entities linked to it. Premises linked to Sahu were also covered as part of the searches, according to officials.
Meanwhile, the BJP MPs led by party president and Rajya Sabha MP JP Nadda marched towards the Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament premises.
Several MPs were chanting "Rahul Gandhi must answer, wherever there is Congress, there is corruption, from corruption to Congress," the ANI reported.
Speaking during the protests JP Nadda said "The Congress is a party steeped in corruption. The ED and the CBI have time and again proved this, but the Congress has questioned the central agencies. Today we want and answer from Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, what is their answer to this huge stash of cash that has been found. PM Modi has said that we won't spare the corrupt and we want the Congress party to answer the poor as to whose cash is this. The BJP will not spare the corrupt, all of them will be sent to jail," as per the ANI.
Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Javdekar said " Rs 354 crore has been recovered at the house of Dheeraj Sahu, how has so much cash been found. Congress claims that he is a businessman and he has to explain, but which businessman keeps so much cash? This cash is the ATM of the Congress which is why the Congress has not even suspended the MP. Dheeraj Sahu is in the business of liquor and he has looted from the poor and become the ATM of the Congress. The nation is angry with this and will teach a lesson to the Congress."
Meanwhile, as the currency counting of 176 bags is completed after the Income Tax raids at properties connected to Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, the Income Tax department will deposit all the sized cash at the same bank in Balangir SBI main branch following the official procedure on Monday. SBI's main branch will function smoothly for the public regularly, SBI Regional Manager said.
During the Income Tax raids at properties connected to Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, huge stacks of currency notes were seized. According to sources the amount of cash recovered was in excess of Rs 300 crore.
(with PTI and ANI inputs)
