UP CM Yogi Adityanath Defends I-T Raids on SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav's Aides

Earlier in the day, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the phones of several SP leaders were being tapped.

File image of UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

(Photo: PTI)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, 19 December, defended the Income Tax raids on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's aides on Saturday, 18 December.

"I saw yesterday the Samajwadi Party was getting pained at Income Tax raids. So, I asked someone, why? The journalist replied, 'chor ki dadhi mein tinka' (a guilty conscience needs no accuser). Can anyone imagine how someone's wealth grows 200 times in five years?" Adityanath said while addressing a rally. "But we saw all this during their reign."

The Income Tax Department had conducted raids on Saturday morning at the houses of Akhilesh Yadav's close aides, including SP national secretary and spokesperson Rajeev Rai.

"Would there have been action against criminals and mafias (if the Samajwadi Party was in power?) Do these people deserve your vote?" Adityanath added.

His comments came shortly after Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the phones of several SP leaders were being tapped and that the UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath "hears the recordings in the evening."

"All (those) related to Samajwadi Party are under surveillance," he said during a press conference on Sunday afternoon. "Yogi Adityanath himself hears the recordings in the evening. If you are contacting us, you are also under the radar," he added, addressing the journalists at the conference.

He further called the Adityanath-led government "unupyogi" government, adding that nothing can be expected from them.

What Yadav Said on Saturday

On Saturday, Yadav had termed these raids "BJP's intimidation tactics before the elections."

"As the BJP's fear of defeat intensifies, so will the raids on the Opposition. But nothing will stop SP's chariot. All programmes will go on as planned," Yadav had said in a tweet.

"This is an old tactic used by the Congress, which is now being followed by the BJP. These institutions have been used to intimidate people, and today, the BJP is doing the same thing because they have no new ways," the SP chief added.

(With inputs from NDTV)