Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav 
New Delhi: Hour after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav called the tax raids on party MLC politically motivated, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit back at the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister asking if the taxmen returned empty-handed.
Lashing out at Akhilesh, the Finance Minister said the SP chief should not raise doubts about the professionalism of the organisation. “The height of (seized) cash is proof that law enforcement agencies are working honestly…Should we wait for post-poll ‘muhurta’ or catch the thief today itself?” she asked.
She further said that the income tax raids in Uttar Pradesh, including an SP MLC from Kannauj, were based on actionable intelligence.
Her reaction came after the SP chief alleged that the raids on SP leaders were politically motivated ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The two leaders traded barbs amid the ongoing raids at the premises of another perfume dealer with the nickname Jain, this time an SP MLC. Akhilesh earlier today accused the BJP of rectifying its earlier mistake of raiding “own associate” Piyush Jain’s premises.
Yadav made the allegation claiming that his party has nothing to do with Kanpur-based perfume trader Piyush Jain, who, he asserted, was close to the BJP. Jain was arrested earlier following a string of raids on his premises across the country.