Gadkari to IT officials: Remember, Congress on its way out

Nagpur/Mumbai : Income tax officials should not forget that the Congress was on its way out, former BJP president Nitin Gadkari said Thursday as he arrived in Nagpur to a massive welcome. The Congress hit out at him for threatening the officials and sought a probe.

“The income tax department hatched a conspiracy on the direction of the Congress government. I have also got the names of the officials from some others who are sympathetic to me and our party. They (IT officials) should remember the Congress’s boat is sinking, and when they go and our government comes, no Chidambaram or Sonia Gandhi will be there to save them,” Gadkari said in a thinly veiled threat.

“Before the income tax department, it was the Central Bureau of Investigation that used to dance to the Congress’s tunes. Now income tax officials in Delhi and Nagpur are conspiring against me,” he added.

Referring to the Congress president without naming her, Gadkari said that there was only one ruler in the Congress while others were merely servants.

He also attacked the media, saying the press had no right to disturb the life of “honest” politicians.

“Will also tell media, there is democracy and if we make some mistakes run Breaking News all day. But the constitution does not give you the right to disturb the life of honest party workers and leaders,” he said.

Gadkari arrived in his home town of Nagpur Thursday to a massive welcome, after narrowly missing a second term as party president after Tuesday’s Income Tax ‘surveys’ of around nine locations connected to alleged financial wrongdoing by a company linked to him.

He said the Congress and the income tax department were trying to tarnish his image by highlighting issues to which he was not connected, and asserted that he would continue fighting till he came out clean.

Gadkari stepped down Tuesday night to make way for Rajnath Singh as the BJP president.

Congress’ state unit demanded a probe into the threats issued to Income Tax Officials by former BJP president Nitin Gadkari.

“The threats issued by Gadkari to the government servants doing their duty are deplorable and a serious matter. We demand a probe into the matter and action against him,” said Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Sachin Sawant in Mumbai.

Sawant said that the present situation of Gadkari and BJP are understandable and his (Gadkari’s) statements reveal the double face of the party.

“On one hand, they claim to be open to any inquiry and on the other, they threaten the officials conducting the investigations.”