My comparison of Lakhimpur Kheri incident to Jallianwala Bagh led to IT raids on Ajit Pawar's relatives, says NCP chief

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said that his comparison of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre has led to Income Tax raids on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's relatives.

"My comparisons of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident with the Jalliawala Bagh Massacre caused a lot of anger to the centre and whatever is happening right now (IT raids) are a reaction to it. I have heard Ajit Pawar's statement that the government can inquire him in case they are facing issues in collecting taxes from him. Raids can be carried out against people who are involved in a certain company or transaction, but to carry out raids against the relatives who have no involvement with the company/transaction is an excess of rights," Pawar said.

The Income Tax department carried out raids at the offices and residences of promoters of Dynamix and DB Realty under a search operation that commenced on September 23, said sources on Thursday. The department had also conducted raids at the houses and companies of three sisters of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Pawar condemned the raids and called them 'politically motivated'.

A total of eight people including four farmers died in the violence that took place in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3.

Pawar also alleged that the members of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) were being used for the action by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

"In the raid conducted in a ship in Mumbai, the people carrying the accused were not the government officials or employees, but it was told that they were witnesses. How are the witnesses getting this right to apprehend the accused when it should be done only by the officers of the agency. It was being shown on TV that members of A political party are being used for action by the agency. There should be strict action against the drugs business, but to adopt a wrong process for it is wrong too," he said.

An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2 night.

A total of 18 people, including a Nigerian national, have been arrested in the case related to the seizure of drugs following a raid at a party on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

( With inputs from ANI )