BJP 'upset' at Ghosi bypoll loss: Akhilesh after I-T raids on Azam Khan's premises

After the Income Tax raids on Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan and those linked to him, party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said the BJP is afraid of the opposition bloc INDIA and 'upset' at losing the Ghosi assembly bypoll.

Yadav added that the weaker the government becomes, the more raids will be conducted on the Opposition.

The party also termed the raids as a move of 'dictatorship' and 'misuse of central agencies' and called Khan a 'voice of truth' saying people will give a befitting reply in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Income Tax department on Wednesday conducted raids on more than 30 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh as part of a tax evasion probe against Khan, a former SP lawmaker, official sources said.

The searches are being conducted in Rampur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and also some premises in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, they said.

In a statement issued, Yadav said, "Khan is the voice of truth. He has laid the foundation for a better future of the children... set up a university for education. He has always been fighting communal forces. Today, the entire party stands with his voice. The BJP government is misusing central institutions".

Yadav called the action 'anti-constitutional and anti-democracy'.

"The BJP government is continuously working with a spirit of revenge against the leaders of the opposition parties. Even before this, the BJP had filed fake cases to tarnish the honest image of Khan. He got relief from the court," Yadav said.

The I-T probe is related to some trusts run by Khan and his family members, the sources said.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya attacked Yadav for 'making a hue and cry' over the raids.

In a post on X, he said, "In the Bhrashtachar Mukt Bharat (corruption-free India) campaign, the central agencies have the right to conduct raids. The innocent need not worry. SP president Akhilesh Yadav, why are you making hue and cry over the raids? The corrupt family club members are not able to tolerate the Bhrashtachar Mukt Bharat campaign."