The Income Tax (IT) conducted searches at over 53 places in Jaipur and other cities of Rajasthan in connection with the alleged irregularities in the supply and distribution of mid-day meals in schools, including the officers and residences of Minister of State Rajendra Yadav and his relatives.
The raids started at 5.30 am in Rajasthan and some places in Uttarakhand on Wednesday. A large number of policemen and CRPF personnel were present with the IT teams. Around 100 vehicles were also pressed into action.
Searches were conducted at other locations including the Kotputli where Rajasthan Flexible Packing Factory is located that belongs to the minister and his relatives. The manager of the company is Madhur Yadav who is the elder son of Minister of State Rajendra Yadav.
While talking to the media at his residence in Civil Lines, minister Yadav said, “Since 8 am, my offices and flats in different areas are being searched. I am not scared of anyone. If officials find any form of discrepancies in the taxes, we are ready to face the consequences. But if this is being done just for a political rivalry, we will fight against that as well.”
Yadav refuted the claims that any mid-day meal factory is involved in it. He said that in Uttrakhand, they have a flour mill and cold storage; and in Kotputli, they have a packaging factory. These businesses are five decades old, he asserted.
Video: Under IT lens, Rajasthan minister Rajender Singh Yadav says he is cooperating with the agency in raids
"If this action is politically motivated, we are ready for that as well," the Congress leader says. @parul_kuls pic.twitter.com/gayJmbUX8b
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) September 7, 2022
“We have paid every income tax as per the law and if there are any problems found by the officials we will deal with it. But my family members including my sons and brother are innocent and we have not done anything wrong till now,” said Yadav.
The sleuths also searched his office in Malviya Nagar and a private residence in Bani Park in Jaipur.
Simultaneously, raids were also conducted in Delhi and Maharashtra.
There are around 66,938 government schools in Rajasthan covered under the mid-day meal scheme, benefitting more than 60 lakh students across the state.