The Congress on Wednesday alleged that ‘cash for votes’ was being transported in Arunachal Pradesh, and played a video tape that showed bundles of currency allegedly being carried in the motorcade of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
The cash, the Congress claimed, was meant to be distributed to people ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public rally at Pasighat on Wednesday.
“The theft committed by the chowkidar (watchman) has been caught red-handed,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, who addressed a press conference almost at the same time Mr. Modi was addressing the rally in Pasighat.
Mr. Surjewala claimed that the car, from which ₹1.8 crore was recovered, belonged to Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mien.
“Was ₹1.8 crore of hard cash being transferred for the rally of PM Modi in Pasighat, personally in the CM’s convoy and in the safe hands of [the] State BJP president?” he asked.
He said the money was recovered in the presence of administration officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of the Siang district and the EC observer.
Midnight raid
The Congress, whose youth wing had forced the administration to carry out a midnight raid, will approach the Election Commission of India to terminate the candidature of State BJP president Tapir Gao, the Lok Sabha candidate from Arunachal East. It will also demand action against the BJP leaders for indulging in “corrupt electoral practice.”
Officials showing the cash seized in Arunachal Pradesh.
Mr. Surjewala also quoted the DC as saying that the Income Tax Department’s local office had been informed of the cash recovery.
“Isn’t concealing and hoarding cash during an election a corrupt practice and a serious violation of the law under Section 123 Sub Clause 1 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and Section 171B of the IPC (Indian Penal Code)? Is it not a solid ground for termination of candidature?” Mr. Surjewala asked.
Not BJP’s stash: CM
Mr. Khandu denied the cash seized from two vehicles in Pasighat on Tuesday night belonged to the BJP.
“The BJP does not indulge in cash-for-votes, unlike the Congress. I learnt about the raid and resultant seizure of some money on Wednesday morning. Whoever owns the money will go to the Election Commission and the Income Tax department to clarify,” he said.
Mr. Gao admitted one of the cars belonged to Dengi Perme, who is the BJP candidate for the Mebo Assembly seat.
“The car belonged to him but the money belonged to his son, who will do the necessary explanation,” he said.
A sum of ₹1 crore was seized from Mr. Perme’s car while ₹80 lakh was found in the vehicle belonging to the State’s Transport Department.
‘Serious matter’
State Congress president Takam Sanjoy, who is contesting the Lekang Assembly seat, said: “The money was seized in the vicinity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally. This is a very serious matter. The Election Commission should take punitive action against the PM, the CM and Gao. The BJP has no influence on the voters, so it is doling out cash to win votes.”
The State’s chief electoral officer Kaling Tayeng and his deputy Kangki Darang declined to speak on the seizure.
Two women led the raid on the basis of a complaint filed by the Pasighat unit of Youth Congress. They are EC’s expenditure officer Samrita Kaur Gill and district electoral officer Kinny Singh.
Suspicious transactions
Huge deposits of suspicious cash in accounts of at least five banks in the northeast had been detected before the announcement of elections in March, Income Tax officials said on Wednesday.
The Election Commission had asked the department to curb the use of black money in elections.
“Initial data show that hundreds of suspicious cash deposits and withdrawals of over ₹10 lakh were made over 10 days in accounts maintained in five major banks of the region. Inquiries have been initiated in about 200 cases so far,” Sanjay Bahadur, principal director of Income Tax (Investigations) for the northeast, said.
“It is highly possible that a substantial part of this cash flow is being misused for the elections,” he said, adding that transaction data from about 100 banks was being received for investigation.
