Odisha becomes new hub of raids ahead of Padampur by-polls

A joint team of NAC and GST officials conducted a raid at Pratap Patnaik’s residence. Patnaik, who happens to be a renowned local contractor, faces heat amidst the ongoing tussle between political parties ahead of Padampur by-polls. 

The raid was conducted late at night in presence of women and senior citizens in the house which has been slammed by Patnaik’s family.

On being asked by the media, Pravin Bohidar who happens to be Pratap’s kin said; “The joint team conducted the raid without any prior notice late at night, and scanned every corner of the house without even revealing the actual reason for the raid. This was not only unfair but also a terrifying experience for female members and the elderly living in the house.”

Meanwhile, Ramakrushna Mishra, additional Tehsildar who headed the raid responded by saying; “The search was conducted in relation to upcoming elections. We received some inputs based on which we carried out the raid along with the GST team. He said, nothing was found in the search.”

Padampur by-poll has emerged as a battleground for political parties not letting any stone unturned to slam each other’s opponents and their supporters.
On Monday, an Income Tax raid was conducted on four BJD-supporting businessmen, which was condemned by the ruling party which accused BJP of creating an atmosphere of fear to influence votes. 

In a similar style, the state government was accused of unleashing GST officials to raid business establishments located in Paikmal and Jharbandha including Padampur supporting the BJP.

Congress leader Taraprasad Bahininpati has termed these raids “Political Raids”