The Income Tax department raided the residence of Galla Jayadev, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP from Guntur late on Tuesday night, 9 April, reported ANI.
Jayadev questioned the raids and said, “Why are we being targeted, why are raids being conducted only on TDP leaders, if EC and other agencies are working impartially it should be happening to all parties.”
He staged a protest along with other TDP leaders in Guntur's Pattabhipuram and alleged that one person has been detained by the I-T department.
Speaking to ANI, TDP Spokesperson, L Dinakaran raised suspicion on the raids being conducted across the country and said, “We don't know whether these raids are happening with EC's approval or just on instructions of Modi led union government as per list given by Jaganmohan Reddy.”
However, the income tax department on Wednesday, denied it conducted any raid on a TDP lawmaker in Andhra Pradesh, reported Mint. The CBDT clarified that no premise of Jayadev Galla was searched.
CBDT said it had received a tip-off that cash was kept at the home of cost accountant Gurappa Naidu, which was to be used in the election. “It was only at the time of recording his (Naidu’s) statement late in the night that he revealed that he was giving services to Galla Jayadav, also in his capacity as a cost accountant,” the department said, adding that Rs 45.4 lakh unaccounted cash was seized during the course of the search.
Meanwhile, the income tax department also raided the residence and office of Modugula Venugopal Reddy, a YSR Congerss Party’s candidate from Guntur parliamemtary constituency on Wednesday, 10 April, reported ANI.
Raids were also conducted at the residence of Reddy's chief election agent Sudhakar Reddy on Wednesday.
The raid comes at a time when the Opposition has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using the income tax department to harass them ahead of the polls.
Earlier, the EC had “strongly advised” the Finance Ministry that any action by its enforcement agencies during election time should be “neutral” and “non-discriminatory” and officials of the poll panel should be kept in loop about such actions.
A string of raids have been conducted on people linked to Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.
(With inputs from ANI and Mint.)
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