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Just days after he was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Mahyuti government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and his family were cleared of benami property charges . Opposition have reacted sharply saying it has proved BJP as washing machine party. Congress said Modi washing powder.
Following this, the income tax department has released Rs 1,000 crore worth of assets seized during the 2021 raids. The case pertains to the acquisition of the Jarandeshwhar Sahakari Sugar Mill by a Mumbai firm in an auction held by the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB). The firm later leased the mill to another company linked to Pawar.
Amid the controversy, the taxmen searched the residencs and offices of Ajit Pawar, his relatives and close aides. They also attached Jarandeshwhar Sahakari Sugar Mill in Satara, a Mumbai office, a Delhi apartment and a Goa resort besides land in 27 locations across Maharashtra.
The tax department also found unaccounted income of Rs 184 crore during a raid on two real estate businesses in Mumbai
Advocate Prashant Patil, who represented Pawar, said the case had no legal grounds, adding that the transactions were legal and there were no irregularities.
The Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal quashed the case against Pawar, saying there is no evidence that the minister transferred the funds to acquire the benami property and that the properties were bought via legal financial channels.
Dismissing the case, the tribunal said Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar, and Parth Pawar did not transfer funds to procure benami properties.
The opposition have slammed the BJP and have slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said it exposed his hollow promise of fighting corruption.
The Congress party on X shared two pictures which read : Modi Ki Laundry Yojana
and the second Modi Washing Powder
Modi Ki Laundry Yojana pic.twitter.com/an3jRCB6Un
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 7, 2024
Modi Washing Powder pic.twitter.com/FakD7LxUw5
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 7, 2024
Shiv Sena ( UBT) Rajya Sabha MP , Priyanka Chaturvedi was scathing in her hard-hitting post on X while tagging the news she wrote,
Magic Machine.. not merely a washing machine!
Hope ED, IT, CBI have some shame left after having compromised their institutions to a point of becoming mere agenda carriers of BJP.
Magic Machine.. not merely a washing machine!
Hope ED, IT, CBI have some shame left after having compromised their institutions to a point of becoming mere agenda carriers of BJP. https://t.co/xaybpQACbt— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) December 7, 2024
Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP , Jawhar Sircar in post on X wrote , Utter Shamelessness of India’s Most Vindictive & Corrupt PM Ever in History.
Fixes opponents with Tax & ED cases until they swing to his side — then ‘clears’ them
— as if law is his paternal property.
He himself gets his ‘dues’ from felons and cronies!
Utter Shamelessness of India’s Most Vindictive & Corrupt PM Ever in History.
Fixes opponents with Tax & ED cases until they swing to his side — then ‘clears’ them
— as if law is his paternal property.
He himself gets his ‘dues’ from felons and cronies! https://t.co/had0MoTSrm— Jawhar Sircar (@jawharsircar) December 7, 2024
