New Delhi: Addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Latur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew attention towards the ongoing Income tax raids in residences of several politicians and businessmen where unaccounted cash of almost Rs 281 crore was busted at the onset of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

Referring to an amount of Rs 20 crore moved to the headquarters of a major political party, PM Modi said, “Aapne dekha hoga kal-parson kaise Congress ke darbariyon ke ghar se bakson main note nikli hain (You must have seen in the last two days how stacks of money was found from the houses of Congress’ courtiers).”

He further said that it was their (Congress) political culture to buy votes, while adding, “Ye pichhle 6 mahino se bol rahe hain 'Chowkidaar chor hai' lekin note kahan se nikle? Asli chor kon hai? (Since the last 6 months they have been chanting 'Chowkidaar chor hai’, but who is the real thief?).”

Also read: ‘Rs 20 crore hawala money moved to party HQ from Tughlak Road residence of politician’

The income tax department in Delhi-NCR, Bhopal, Indore and Goa on Sunday recovered total cash worth Rs 281 crore in residences of various persons related to business, politics and public service. 

A team of 300 officers raided places in these cities, including the residence of a close aide of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath.

Interestingly, the income tax department in its press statement has claimed it has recovered Rs 20 crore from the capital’s most expensive location, Lutyens’ Delhi, moved through hawala to the headquarters of a major political party.

“The searches in Delhi in the group of a close relative of the senior functionary have further led to the seizure of incriminating evidence, including a cash book that recorded unaccounted transactions of Rs 230 crore, syphoning off of money through bogus billing of more than Rs 242 crore and evidence of more than 80 companies in tax havens," the department had said earlier.