Lucknow: The recent crackdown by central investigation agencies against leaders of Opposition parties has often been alleged as political vendetta. However, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made it clear there is no political vendetta, be it the central or the state government -- it is only the law taking it course.
The allegations of political vendetta have been made after a major crackdown on Opposition leaders, including Congress party’s P Chidambaram and DK Shivkumar, Bahujan Samaj Party’s Mayawati, and Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav, on charges of corruption.
In an exclusive interview to News18 Network Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Adityanath said, “Both the Centre and the state are not working with the motive of political revenge. If someone has done wrong, they will have to pay the price. If someone has broken the law, misused public money, then they cannot be saved. As I said, if someone is found guilty, there will be appropriate action against them.”
SP patriarch and founder Mulayam Singh Yadav at a recent press conference had alleged that the BJP government was targeting senior party leader Azam Khan, describing the action against Khan as political vendetta. Till now, more than 80 cases have been registered against the Rampur MP, including those for land grabbing, loot and forgery.
Earlier, senior SP leaders were raided by central investigation agencies in an alleged case of sand mining. It was speculated that Akhilesh would also be summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in the illegal mining scam. Akhilesh had kept the mining portfolio with himself for a while during his tenure as chief minister.
The Income Tax Department in March had attached assets worth Rs 225 crore of retired UP IAS officer Net Ram and his associates as part of an alleged tax evasion probe against them, officials said on Wednesday. Net Ram was considered to be Mayawati’s right-hand man, when she was chief minister.
The department had seized Rs 2.03 crore in cash and jewellery valued at Rs 17.79 lakh after the raids. Mont Blanc pens valued at Rs 50 lakh and documents indicating benami assets were also recovered from the premises linked to the retired IAS officer who had served in top positions when Mayawati was in power.
The Income-Tax Department had recently attached a benami plot in Noida worth over Rs 400 crore, which reportedly belongs to Mayawati's brother Anand Kumar and his wife. Kumar, also the BSP’s national vice-president, has been under the scanner for the last few years for allegedly acquiring benami properties through shell companies. According to information, Kumar and his wife are directors in more than 12 companies as of now.
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