The Income Tax (IT) department on Saturday (December 18) searched the premises of some of the close aides of the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in suspected tax evasion cases.
Searches are being conducted at the premises of secretary and national spokesperson Rajeev Rai, RCL group promotor Manoj Yadav and Jainendra Yadav, a house staff turned OSD of Akhilesh Yadav.
The IT team is searching for the premise of Rajeev Rai at Sahadatpura in Mau district who is considered close to Akhilesh Yadav.
आयकर विभाग ने शनिवार तड़के लखनऊ, मैनपुरी आगरा में सपा के नेताओं के आवासों पर छापामारी की। जिसमें आगरा के मनोज यादव लखनऊ में जैनेंद्र यादव सहित करीब एक दर्जन लोगों के घरों की छानबीन चल रही है। लखनऊ में यह आयकर का छापा अंबेडकर पार्क के पास स्थित जैनेंद्र यादव के आवास पर पड़ा है। pic.twitter.com/xyclBrAYzG
— Amit kaushik (@Amit_Kaushik1) December 18, 2021
A 12 member team of IT from Varanasi started a search operation at the house of Rai in the early morning.
Besides a politician, Rajeev Rai in his website claims himself as an educationalist, businessman, and philanthropist who is also chairman of AVK Group of Institutions that runs a chain of institutions in Bengaluru. He describes himself as one of the most important men behind the success of forming the 1st Samajwadi Party government with an absolute majority in UP in 2012. Rai owns multiple properties in Lucknow, Mainpuri and Agra.
Rai claimed neither he has black money nor any criminal background and the IT search was nothing but a political vendetta.
This is IT dept. I’ve no criminal background or black money. I help people & Govt didn’t like it. This is a result of that. If you do anything, they’ll make a video, register an FIR, you’ll fight a case unnecessarily. There is no use let procedure complete: Rajeev Rai, SP leader pic.twitter.com/Bn4hcs1ozm
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 18, 2021
Samajwadi Party members hackled and tried to physically prevent IT, officials, from discharging their duty, and a large number of them assembled outside of the residence of Rai started sloganeering.
IT raids across UP all related to @samajwadiparty. Party workers clash with IT officials. #UPElections2022 pic.twitter.com/1j8dYeuF7Y
— Afroz Alam🏴☠️ (@AfrozJournalist) December 18, 2021
Besides Rai, the IT team has knocked on the door of RCL Group promoter Manoj Yadav in Mainpuri who is also said to be close to Akhilesh Yadav. His house in Agra is being searched by sleuths.
Another team is carrying search at the house of Jainendra Yadav alias Neetu Yadav at Vishal Khand area in Lucknow. Neetu Yadav was Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Akhilesh Yadav when he was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was once an electrician at the house of Mulayam Singh Yadav who used to live at the servant quarter. When Akhilesh became CM he appointed Neetu Yadav as his ODS.
Akhilesh Yadav questions the timing of IT action
So far there is no official statement from IT about the reasons and outcome of searches, Akhilesh Yadav questioned the timing.
सरकार हताशा और अपनी दमन कारी नीतियों के चलते श्री @RajeevRai जी जनपद मऊ स्थित आवास आयकर विभाग का छापा पड़ा।।
— RAM AWADH YADAV (@advrayadav) December 18, 2021
अधिकारियों को ध्यान रखना चाहिए राजनीतिक द्वेष की भावना से कार्यवाही न करे।।@yadavakhilesh @samajwadiparty @BBCBreaking @ndtv @ARajesh_SP @advrayadav @hbtilavakush pic.twitter.com/Ki7YxnasSM
He said that as the assembly election of Uttar Pradesh would come closer central agencies would be active. He said that the same action could have been taken a month ago but the searches right before the elections raise suspicion.
BJP responds to Akhilesh
Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said that Akhilesh Yadav should not fear from IT search if he and his party were clean.
क्या छिपा रखा है, जो छापे से डर रहे हैं…. pic.twitter.com/zpopc9qsiP
— Rakesh Tripathi (@rakeshbjpup) December 18, 2021
“This is called a guilty mind is always suspicious. It department has its own way of functioning and in the past raids were carried against BJP leaders also. Akhilesh should not afraid if he has not done anything wrong,” said Tripathi.
