IT IS A 3,500 million-rupee question. As bundles of notes kept pouring out of the Odisha coffers of a seemingly unassuming Rajya Sabha MP of the Congress from Jharkhand, the question that had Bhubaneswar in a tizzy was which party had the biggest stake in the cash dubbed as part of “the highest-ever black money haul”. While Dhiraj Sahu is an MP from Jharkhand, he appears to have made most of his money in Odisha, where his company is the leading player in country liquor in western part of the state. Most of the cash was also seized from Odisha, though there were raids in Jharkhand and West Bengal too in connection with the case. The Congress has tried to wash its hand of, saying Sahu's business is his business. However, while the BJP at the Centre has seized upon it to turn the tables on the Congress and its charge of crony capitalism against the Modi government, in Odisha, the state unit of the BJP is linking the cash to the ruling BJD. Ahead of the elections next year in Odisha, in which the BJD seems comfortably placed, the BJP sees the eye-catching cash seizure as the opening it needs. State party leaders have hit the streets, holding demonstrations in all the subdivisions of Odisha, accusing the BJD government of “protecting the Congress’s corruption” and “patronising illegality with country-liquor trade”. BJD MLAs, ministers and state government officials are hand-in-glove with Sahu, the BJP says. The Sahu-owned Baldeo Sahu and Group of Companies, in fact, has been in country liquor manufacturing and selling business in Odisha since 1994-95, with its licence renewed every year. The company controls over 250 country-liquor units across western Odisha districts. Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal questions this long run of the firm. “The BJD government has not held auctions for the country-liquor business in Odisha in 23 years. Licences are just renewed instead. Hence, the state government is responsible for the accumulation of black money in different distilleries and liquor joints.” The BJP president has also asked why it took the Central agency Income-Tax Department to dig out this black money haul, and how state government agencies like Odisha Police, Intelligence, Excise Department, Vigilance and Economic Offences Wing were in the dark. The attack by the Odisha BJP is in contrast to the position the party has taken at the Centre. Speaking to ANI in Patna Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called out the “silence” of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), RJD, DMK and Samajwadi Party on the matter, but did not mention the BJD. Shah added that the Opposition's charge against the Modi government of “misusing” agencies was prompted by fear, as they were afraid of the skeletons in their closets being discovered. The BJD's silence is also telling, with no official statements on the I-T raids so far, except as a counter to Opposition charges. BJD spokesperson Lelin Mohanty has concentrated on the difference in stands of the state and central BJP. He asked as to why central BJP leaders were blaming the Congress for the money, when the Odisha BJP was doing just the opposite, arguing that this showed that the Odisha BJP had an “evil design” to save the Congress. “For its own political self-interest, the Odisha BJP has always tried to defame Odisha, and due to this, they are losing credibility among the people. The Odisha BJP has been trying to defame the state with concocted statements over the cash seizure,” said Mohanty, going on to question why the Odisha BJP was “standing like a shield” before the Congress on the issue. Public posturing apart, BJD sources admit a wariness in the ranks that the cash seizure may expand into an Enforcement Directorate (ED) and money laundering probe. ED officials are believed to have already held meetings with I-T officials on the matter. A senior BJD leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: “The party has nothing to do with the seized money. It’s being heard that this cash was to be used in the Chhattisgarh elections, but could not be moved at the right time. Later, it was caught in the I-T Department raid.” The mellower stand of the central BJP will also confirm the impression that the BJD leadership continues to have a good rapport with top BJP leaders – notwithstanding their rivalry in the state. Meanwhile, the Odisha Congress is hoping the dirt won't stick to it, as the other two parties sling mud at each other. Congress spokesperson Rajani Mohanty said the BJD and BJP are two sides of the same coin.
