Congress MP's Cash Controversy: Jharkhand Congress Seeks Clarification Amidst IT Raids

Jharkhand Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the ₹300 crore found during Income Tax raids on premises linked to party MP Dheeraj Sahu. Seeking clarification, Pandey emphasized, "The party has a clear-cut stand that it is a private matter of Dheeraj Sahu, which has nothing to do with the Congress party."

He urged Sahu, being a Congress MP, to make an official statement explaining the substantial cash discovery. Pandey questioned, "The family has had a business establishment for more than 100 years...Sahu should clarify how such a big amount came to him."

However, Pandey noted that the Income Tax department still needed to make an official statement. Amid allegations of conspiracy to defame opposition parties, Pandey accused the BJP of orchestrating destabilization attempts in Jharkhand and other non-BJP governed states.

In response, BJP MPs plan to protest the cash seizure, with Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi criticizing Congress, stating, "Congress has tried to spread corruption from generation to generation." Statewide rallies and dharnas were staged in several districts, and BJP leader CP Singh accused Congress of having a "tradition" of engaging in loot, scams, and corruption.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah questioned the opposition's silence: "I understand Congress is silent as corruption is in their nature." He alleged a campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that it stemmed from the fear of corruption secrets being revealed.

As the controversy unfolds, the political landscape is rife with accusations and counter-accusations, adding another layer to the ongoing political discourse in the region.

Author: Anushka Taraniya

News writer, MIT ADT UNIVERSITY