Tax raids at hospitals run by kin of Yogendra Yadav

GURUGRAM: A team of nearly 100 officials from the Income Tax (I-T) department on Wednesday conducted raids at the hospital and nursing home being run by the kin of Swaraj India national president Yogendra Yadav. The raids were conducted in Rewari that is 65 kilometres from Gurugram City Centre.

The operation began around 11 am, when the officials in batches conducted raids at Kalawati Hospital and Kamla Nursing Home, two medical institutions are being run by Yadav’s two sisters, brother-inlaw and his nephew.

High scale medical treatments were being carried out in these institutions and, as per Swaraj India officials, they also donated money to the party.

Immediately after the raids, a series of accusations began to be hurled where it was cited that it was yet another intimidating tactic adopted by the central government to silence their critics.

The raids have occurred at a time when Yogendra Yadav is on a nine-day yatra in Rewari district focused on securing minimum support price for farmers’ produce and closing down of liquor vends in the villages. The raid also comes two days before a national level meeting of All India Kisaan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, scheduled to be held in Delhi to decide on the future course of action of farmers’ movement.

Speaking about the raid, Yadav said that he has nothing to hide and the government may investigate as much as it wants. “Mr Modi is free to raid my house, but why bother my family,” Yadav asked. “I am not going to be intimidated with such threats, I will continue to raise the voices of the farmers and the youth,” he added.

National Coordinator of the Jai Kisan Andolan, Avik Saha, said, “By intimidating Yogendra Yadav, a message is being sent to all farmer leaders to keep their mouth shut. But now the farmers are rising and this country shall soon see a change led by the farmers.”

Denying allegations of a witchhunt by the central government, Jawarhar Yadav, Haryana BJP spokesperson, said, “This is nothing to do with the yatra being undertaken by Yogendra Yadav and his party and this is not a tactic adopted by the government to derail their movement.”