Patna, Dec. 15: The JDU has decided to move the income-tax department urging it to ask the BJP for the source of the funds the party used to buy land in 25 districts of Bihar in the months before demonetisation.
The JDU has been issuing statements for the past five days, accusing the state BJP of financial irregularities in the land purchases. Today, in a joint statement issued by party MLC Sanjay Singh, MLC Neeraj Kumar and spokesperson Ranjiv Ranjan Prasad, the JDU said it would move the income tax department in the next 24 hours if the BJP does not respond to the JDU's allegation.
"We have decided to move the income-tax department under Section 133 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, to reveal the source of income from which the land has been bought," Neeraj said.
"The party has given them time of a day. The BJP must prove us wrong or file defamation (case) against us or answer the question that we have asked about the source of income."
Neeraj added: "The BJP did not use the party PAN card to purchase the land. This proves that the aim was to convert black money into white just before demonetisation."
On the charges levelled by the JDU, BJP MLC and chief spokesperson Vinod Narayan Jha said: "Why only the income tax? The JDU is most welcome to approach the United Nations for the probe. We have already said each and every transaction was valid and each and every penny is valid. It is their government, why are they not setting up any committee to probe the issue? The Nitish Kumar government can easily inquire the matter. Who has stopped him to do so?"
City-based income tax advocate Manish Kumar said: "Under Section 133(6), the income tax has the power to ask the authorities to furnish the details of large amount of data when it becomes necessary for them to obtain information to verify facts."
The JDU has been accusing the BJP that a huge amount of money has been spent on purchasing the land a month before demonetisation came into effect on November 8.
The JDU alleged that the BJP made the payment in cash to register the land.
