With simultaneous raids by the Income Tax (IT) department continuing for the fourth day on different locations linked to liquor traders in Odisha on Saturday, the BJP alleged that the BJD Government and some leaders of the ruling party have an unholy nexus with the tax evaders.

Ministers Niranjan Pujari, Pradip Kumar Amat and Tukuni Sahu and Jogesh Kumar Singh are involved in the scam. “A Jharkhand Congress MP owns the liquor company, but the BJD is its manager,” the BJP said.

 “The liquor companies have been doing business for the last several years in Odisha, but what State Vigilance, Crime Branch, Excise and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) have been doing?” BJP leader Lekhashri Samantsinghar questioned.

“Liquor traders are a good source of illegal funding for the BJD during elections. A single company was appeased by awarding it repeated tenders. The Chief Minister and the Ministers concerned should clarify this. A big raid was possible due to the ‘Modi Guarantee’,” she stated.

Reacting to this, Ranpur BJD MLA Satyanarayan Pradhan said, “Our party MLAs and ministers, in no way, have any link with the liquor traders. The CM has assured that law will take its course. Whoever is at fault will not be spared and action will be taken against the wrongdoer(s).”

After crores of rupees were recovered from liquor traders during the IT raids, Congress leader Suresh Routray said, “The Sahu family from Jharkhand is a Zamindar family and is doing liquor business for generations. The BJP had asked them for money during the recent Assembly elections in Telangana.”

As the liquor trader did not part with the purse, the Central Government conducted the raid, Routray added.