Samajwadi Party MLC denies relations with Piyush Jain

PUSHPRAJ JAIN ALLEGED BAD POLITICS WAS BEING PLAYED OUT TO TARGET HIS PARTY AND ITS LEADER AKHILESH YADAV

KANPUR: Samajwadi Party (SP) MLC Pushpraj Jain a.k.a Pampi Jain has denied any relations with Kanpur-based businessman Piyush Jain who was arrested on tax evasion charges on Sunday after Central GST’s intelligence wing recovered unaccounted Rs 177 crore cash from his house in Kanpur in raids that began last week.

Pushpraj Jain alleged bad politics was being played out to target his party and its leader Akhilesh Yadav just because Piyush and he (Pushpraj) both are Jains.

“I am a Jain, he is a Jain. Coincidentally, we have houses in the same locality (Chipatta) in Kannauj. This doesn’t mean we are related. I have no relations with him whatsoever,” he said.

Last month, Pushpraj Jain had launched the Samajwadi perfume, which certain reports alleged was prepared with the help of Piyush Jain.

The MLC denied Piyush Jain’s role in the matter vehemently and said the perfume was not launched for the first but the third time.

“Yes, I launched it and I say it openly. It has nothing to do with Piyush Jain. I don’t even know (him) properly and have no business relations with him either,” he said, adding that their acquaintance was limited to exchanging pleasantries if they came across each other in the mohalla (locality).

“Kannauj is a small place. If exchanging pleasantries is a relation, so that much of link I had with him,” he said.

Piyush Jain has his factory next to his house in Chipatta and his family was engaged in the fragrance business for many generations, he said.

The perfumes that are prepared in his factory are sold in European countries.

The Samajwadi Party MLC claimed his being targeted was the BJP’s doing to get at his party and its leader.

Suddenly, his properties and petrol pumps in different places were being shown as those of Piyush Jain in newspaper reports, the SP MLC said.

“They are mine and none of them are (under) any investigation. The Central GST has not spoken to me even for a second nor has any team come to my place,” he said.

Meanwhile, searches have gone on for over 70 hours at Piyush Jain’s houses in Kannauj though the officials have not disclosed the recovery made there.