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BJP `disturbed’ at IT tribunal clean chit to Mayawati

By IANS

New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday termed as “disturbing” the clean chit given by the Income Tax tribunal to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for having acquired wealth through gifts from her party workers.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shanker Prasad told presspersons Friday: “This order is very disturbing as it has the potential to be used and abused by politicians and bureaucrats in future.”

The IT Tribunal stated Thursday that since Mayawati had acquired the wealth – ostensibly much beyond her known sources of income – through gifts and donations from her party workers, there was nothing wrong with it. She had proved that some of her supporters had even taken loans to give the gifts.

Reacting to the tribunal’s order, Prasad said, “The bureaucrats can also misuse this order. I hope it will be challenged in court by the government.”

He stated that earlier in a similar case involving former Bihar chief minister and present Railway Minister Lalu Yadav, the permission for challenging it in court was not given.

Mayawati had reportedly acquired wealth exceeding Rs.500 million in three years’ time. She credited it to the “love and affection” of her supporters who had showered this wealth through valuable gifts and cash.