JD(U) now wants an Income Tax probe into BJP’s transactions

Janata Dal (United), part of the ruling coalition government in Bihar, on Friday wrote to the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Patna Circle, demanding an inquiry into the omissions and commissions of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the wake of demonetisation of ₹500 and ₹1,000 currency notes on November 8.

Briefing the media at Patna, JD(U) spokespersons Neeraj Kumar, Sanjay Singh and Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said that the party had submitted a list of 31 plots of land purchased by the BJP in Bihar just before demonetisation.

The letter points out a series of discrepancies in the purchase deeds. While some payments were made by the BJP through RTGS, as claimed by it, several payments were paid by it in cash and acknowledged as such. Even more seriously, the letter went on to allege, several purchase deeds make no mention of the mode of payment.

There were also discrepancies in the PAN numbers submitted to the authorities and the payments made by people, who in some cases seemed to be different people.

The JD(U) spokespersons also drew the attention of the Department to the purchase of motorcycles by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh after demonetisation. According to reports appearing in the regional media, the party purchased over 1,500 motorcycles in the poll-going state, 248 of which surfaced in Gorakhpur.

JD(U) spokespersons said that although it has been drawing attention to the suspicious transactions for the past several weeks, the BJP has not bothered to respond directly and reply to the allegations, taking recourse instead to rhetoric.

Stressing that there is an urgent need for an independent investigation, the spokespersons said that it was surprising that large number of new currencies were being recovered from largely BJP leaders across the country.

With severe doubts being expressed by even people sympathetic to the BJP, like Baba Ramdev, and an ATM in Bihar having been sealed following claims that it was issuing new but fake currency, there was even greater urgency for a thorough probe, they said.