The Hindu : National : I am prepared for IT raid: Amar Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 16, 2006

National

National

I am prepared for IT raid: Amar Singh

Special Correspondent

"It is a Congress vendatta"

Amar Singh

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh on Thursday denied he was politicising the issue of income tax notices to his wife Pankaja, superstar Amitabh Bachchan or Jaya Bachchan. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family were also directed by the Supreme Court to reply to notices served on them to explain their sources of income.

Condemning the public protest by Amitabh Bachchan fans in Allahabad, Mr. Singh said here the parties concerned were silent on the notices. It was the media that were playing them up. A notice was sent to his wife about three months ago and she replied to it, but about a month ago she was asked to appear in the Jhandewalan office here of the Income Tax department.

Mr. Singh alleged that it was Congress prabhari for Uttar Pradesh Ashok Gehlot who fired the first salvo, suggesting that the Rs. 232- crore joint assets declared by Ms. Bachchan in her Rajya Sabha nomination form were "illegal." The SP leader said: "Everything is declared and accounted for. Let the Congress prove it is illegal. The ball is in their court."

He said, "Every industrialist in Uttar Pradesh has been raided. I too can expect an income tax raid. I am prepared for it," he said, alleging that the Congress at the Centre was indulging in vendetta because out of rivalry with the SP in the State.

EC hearing

A Rajya Sabha member, Mr. Singh is facing a notice also from the Election Commission on the office of profit issue, being Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Development Council. As he was travelling out of Delhi, his lawyers would represent him at Friday's hearing.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National