I-T raids: Odisha Congress says party not related to cash recovery, calls Dhiraj Sahu as 'businessman'

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 12 : After crores of rupees were unearthed from Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu linked premises, the party's Odisha unit on Tuesday said that the lawmaker is a 'businessman' and that they have nothing to do with him.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Patnaik said that the party would comment on the matter once the Income Tax department issues a statement on the raids.

"There is a businessman, he is not from Odisha, he is from Jharkhand, the money has been unearthed here in Odisha in I-T raids. It would be good if we give a statement on the day the I-T department issues a statement, clearing that the cash belongs to whom. Who knows whose money it is now? The money belongs to a Congress MP, I agree, but how Congress is related to it? The party is not related to him, he is a businessman," Patnaik said.
The Income Tax department has, so far, netted Rs 351 crore in cash during its searches at Boudh Distillery Private Limited, a company based in Odisha.
The company is allegedly linked to Dhiraj Sahu, sources said.
According to the sources, the searches are still underway.
BJP workers staged a protest against Congress after crores in cash were recovered from premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha IT raids, in Secunderabad.
Earlier in the day, taking a swipe at the grand old party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said one need not be hooked on to popular Netflix series 'Money Heist' when the story of the Congress 'looting' public money over the last 70 years was unfolding before their eyes.
Sharing a video posted by the BJP on its official handles across social media platforms, with the caption 'Congress presents the MONEY HEIST!', on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted, "In India, who needs 'Money Heist' fiction. When you have the Congress Party, whose heists are legendary for 70 years and counting!"
When asked about BJP's allegations on Congress after the cash recovery, the OPCC chief told ANI that there is nothing new in that as the party unleashes ED and other Central agencies against the opposition before elections. "They did that in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan," he added.
The I-T crackdown was launched on December 6, covering 25 premises in Odisha and Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, the counting of the currency stuffed in 176 bags was completed and the I-T department deposited the seized amount to the government treasury.
The Congress, meanwhile, has distanced itself from the mega cash haul from the MP's home claiming that only Sahu can explain money recovered from the premises linked to him.
"The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dhiraj Sahu, MP. Only he can explain, and should explain, how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties," Congress MP Jairam Ramesh posted on Saturday from his official X handle.