Delhi BJP demands removal of Minister Gahlot after ITD conducted raids

Delhi BJP on Wednesday demanded the removal of Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot from his post after raids were conducted by the Income Tax Department (ITD) on premises linked to him.

The BJP's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said Gahlot should cooperate in the probe because it's the duty of the agency to investigate allegations levelled against anyone no matter how powerful they are.

Tiwari claimed that the raids were conducted on the basis of complaints filed by "some AAP members".

"A minister is a responsible man and he should cooperate in the probe. If you are clean, you do not have to worry. Agencies need to investigate allegations levelled against individuals no matter how powerful they are," he said.

BJP's Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said the raids conducted at Gahlot's premises prove that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has turned into "Khaas Aadmi Party" (special people party).

"Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should immediately remove Kailash Gahlot as Transport Minister in view of the income tax raids at premises linked to him," Gupta said.

He accused the AAP of levelling "wild allegations" against the Centre to divert the public's attention from the raids.

"The entire machinery of the AAP is churning out false and wild allegations. Their only objective is to make political noise so that the public's attention is diverted from the raids," Gupta said.

At least 16 locations in the national capital and adjoining Gurgaon were raided by a team of over 60 ITD sleuths and police personnel, officials said.

The searches were conducted as part of a tax evasion probe against two construction firms linked to the minister and others, they said.

(With inputs from agencies.)