Political blame game erupts after I-T raids at offices, houses of Kamal Nath's confidantes

The issue may become a major election plank as memes, trolls flood social media

Political blame game erupts in MP after IT raids at Kamal Nath's confidantes Income Tax department officials conduct raid at the residential premises of Rajendra Kumar Miglani, former advisor of Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath, in New Delhi, on Sunday | PTI

The political atmosphere in Madhya Pradesh is all charged up in the wake of simultaneous raids by Income Tax officials at official and residential premises of aides and kin of Chief Minister Kamal Nath in Delhi, Indore and Bhopal on Sunday.

Allegations, counter-allegations and barbs flied throughout the day between the two major political parties. By evening it was clear that the raids were likely to be made a major electoral plank by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as memes and trolls already started circulating on social media.

Aadhi raat ko phir chala chowkidar ka danda; Ghotalebaazon ka nashaa ho gaya thanda,” (Chowkidar’s cane sounded at midnight again, the stupor of the corrupt is over)—a meme with details of the raid, circulating over social media, read.

Along with the photograph of a stern looking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the meme carries harried photographs of Kamal Nath and Congress president Rahul Gandhi along with suitcases full of cash.

Another slogan on the meme read “Jab tak aise hi choukanna rahega chowkidar; ek bhi paisa lekar nahi jaa sakta gaddar” (Till the time the Chowkidar is alert, no traitor can make away with any money).

madhya-pradesh-kamal-nath-raids-meme A meme that has been circulated on social media after the IT raids

Political watchers said that the timing of the IT raid was crucial, just two days before Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath are to file nominations for Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, respectively, from Chhindwara.

“There would be attempts to encash the raids to the best by both the sides. The BJP will certainly rake up the corruption issue while the Congress will try to call it politics of vengeance and misuse of government agencies,” a senior journalist said.

Statements from party leaders have already started circulating. National general secretary of BJP, Kailash Vijayvargiya, tweeted in Hindi saying “recovery of black money from the house of OSD of Kamal Nath belonging to transfer industry makes it clear that the Congress is thief (chor) and Rahul is chieftain of the group of thieves (Choron ka Sardar).”

Ex-minister Narottam Mishra recited a self-created poem to hit out at the Congress and Kamal Nath, highlighting that the money meant for farm loan waivers and unemployed youth had found way to homes of chief minister’s confidantes.

While Chief Minister Kamal Nath did not give any statement initially, and rather avoided the media while touring Hoshangabad from Chhindwara, two party spokespersons held fort for him in Bhopal.

Chief of Congress media cell, Shobha Oza said the raids are a result of frustration in the BJP following the defeat in three states including MP, and an unsuccessful attempt to create pressure on the Congress and malign its image ahead of elections. She also said that not only the Congress leaders but leaders of other opposition parties were likewise targeted using agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax (IT) and CBI, but these agencies failed to take any action against BJP leaders, their kin or the Arunachal Pradesh CM from whose vehicle huge amount of cash was recovered.

Party spokesman K.K. Mishra also said that the Modi government was misusing agencies and the Congress would fight this out. After the Gandhi family, Ahmed Patel, P. Chidambaram, Robert Vadra, Kamal Nath was also being targeted as part of a “condemnable political game”. “Congress would give answer to this revengeful act on a proper forum,” he said.

Late in the evening, Kamal Nath issued a statement saying the details of the I-T raids are still unclear and it would be proper to comment only when things become clear. He, however, added that the entire country knew how and against whom constitutional institutions were being used in the past five years. "They are used to scare people when there is nothing left to say on development and achievements... These actions are being considered as the BJP sees imminent defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Several political parties and states are witness to these ploys in past five years... But this will not stop our march towards progress. We will not get scared but will continue our march with further determination," the statement said.