CM Yogi defends I-T raids on Akhilesh Yadav's aides

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday defended the Income Tax raids on the offices and residences of several close aides of Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav in different parts of Uttar Pradesh even as Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi decried them.

Addressing a public meeting at Mathura, Adityanath said that only a man with a 'guilty conscience' would fear the raids. '"Chor ki dhadhi mein tinka' (a man with a guilty conscience needs no accuser)," Adityanath said.

"How can someone's wealth double in five years... it is possible only in the SP government," the chief minister added.

Also read: 'Yogi listens to the recordings': Akhilesh Yadav alleges SP leaders' phones being tapped by UP government

Priyanka, however, decried the raids and accused the BJP government of misusing the central agencies to terrorise its opponents. "The Narendra Modi government is in the habit of using the central agencies to pressurise the opposition as the polls near,'' she said on Sunday.

Akhilesh had also slammed the raids and termed them as reflective of BJP's 'fear' of losing the forthcoming assembly elections in the state. Those raided included senior SP leader and party spokesman Rajiv Rai, Akhilesh's personal secretary Jainendra Yadav and another SP leader Manoj Yadav.

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