New Delhi: Critics of previous finance minister Arun Jaitley within the ruling BJP and its affiliates — led by Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy — have now trained their guns on his successor, Nirmala Sitharaman.
Their grouse: The government’s decision to ‘compulsorily retire’ senior Income Tax Department official Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, along with 11 others Monday. Srivastava had spearheaded the investigation against NDTV and former finance minister P. Chidambaram.
Sitharaman, who is in the middle of consultations and preparations for the budget that is scheduled to be presented on 5 July, was criticised — tacitly and even directly — by Swamy, Ashwani Mahajan, co-convenor of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, and S. Gurumurthy, who was appointed to the Reserve Bank of India’s central board of directors by the Modi government.
“If reports I hear are true that Sanjay Shrivastava a totally honest, courageous IT commissioner who exposed the NDTV fraud & fought PC Chidambaram for 15 yrs, bore all persecution, is being compulsory retired, it means Lutyens, PC & NDTV lobbies are still at work in this govt,” tweeted Gurumurthy.
If reports I hear are true that Sanjay Shrivastava a totally honest, courageous IT commissioner who exposed the NDTV fraud & fought PC Chidambaram for 15 yrs, bore all persecution, is being compulsory retired, it means Lutyens, PC & NDTV lobbies are still at work in this govt
— S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) June 10, 2019
Srivastava was among 12 income tax officials who were forced to retire by the Modi government over allegations, including fraud, extortion and sexual harassment.
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Swamy joins in
Swamy too joined the chorus against Sitharaman, saying he will fight Srivastava’s case and also take the matter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I am taking up the case of S K Srivastava….who was investigating NDTV, since there is no new substantive case against him and Mdm Sitharaman has relied on PC time filed bogus cases, to terminate his services possibly to favour NDTV. First I will write to PM”, he tweeted.
I am taking up the case of S K Srivastava I-T Commissioner who was investigating NDTV, since there is no new substantive case against him and Mdm Sitharaman has relied on PC time filed bogus cases, to terminate his services possibly to favour NDTV.First I will write to PM.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) June 11, 2019
Swamy has been a known Jaitley-baiter, often disagreeing and questioning the latter’s decisions and intent as finance minister in the first term of PM Modi.
Mahajan alleged that Srivastava was framed under false sexual misconduct cases by Chidambaram. He added that the official “deserves support” of the current government to pursue cases against Chidambaram but he “has been removed unfairly”.
SK Shrivastava was framed under false sexual misconduct cases by PC and his stooges during UPA rule. It was done because he had established PC involvement in NDTV frauds.
Shrivastava deserves support of govt to pursue cases against PC but he has been removed unfairly. Why?? https://t.co/TzwCwLNlVA pic.twitter.com/MMA4zT3Gw3
— ASHWANI MAHAJAN (@ashwani_mahajan) June 11, 2019
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch has long opposed operation of e-commerce entities, arguing that they flout local regulations and adversely impact local traders.
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