Income Tax (IT) department on Wednesday raided 16 locations and business premises related to Delhi Cabinet Minister Kailash Gahlot and his family members in the national Capital and Gurugram. Reacting sharply to these raids, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation termed these raids a result of “political vendetta”.
According to IT department, atleast 16 premises in the national capital and neighbouring Gurugram were being raided by a team of over 60 tax department officials and the local police. Vasant Kunj, Paschim Vihar, Najafgarh and Gurugram are the locations where IT officials conducted raids , they said.
“Friendship with Nirav Modi, (Vijay) Mallya, and raid on us? Modiji, you conducted raids on me, Satyendar (Jain) and Manish (Sisodia) as well. What happened to that? Did you get anything? You got nothing. At least apologise to Delhi before conducting another raid on its elected Government,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.
Incidentally, the raids was related to two companies - Brisk Infrastructure and Developer Pvt Ltd, and Corporate International Financial Services Pvt Ltd — run by Gahlot and his family members.
Gahlot who won from Nazafgarh assembly seat, holds key portfolios such as; Transport, Law, Revenue, Information Technology, and Administrative Reforms. AAP leaders said, the party said that while they were busy working for the people of Delhi, the BJP was getting raids conducted at houses of AAP ministers and leaders.
“Political vendetta continues... we are giving cheap electricity to the people, free water, good health and education services to the people. We are also delivering government services at people’s doorsteps. And they are forcing CBI, ED to conduct raids at the residences of our ministers and leaders. The public is watching everything and will give a reply in 2019 polls,” the party tweeted.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta demanded CM Arvind Kejriwal to immediately remove Kailash Gahlot as Transport Minister in view of the income tax raid at his 16 premises in connection with business operated and owned by his family.
“It is now clear that behind the façade of the Aam Adami Party, there is actually the Khas Aadami Party. Today, another gem of Kejriwal’s 67 gems got exposed. CM Kejriwal and his team fast got into shielding the corrupt Minister immediately after receiving the news of the raid at the premises of the Minister,” said Gupta.