"Who Needs Money Heist When...": PM's Dig At Congress Over Huge Cash Haul

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at the Congress today over the record cash haul during tax raids on a Congress MP in Odisha, said to be the largest amount recovered by any investigative agency in India in a single operation.

Income Tax officials found Rs 353.5 crore in cash from raids at various properties linked to the MP, Dheeraj Sahu. The cash, which was counted using several machines, was seen stacked on the floor and in many cabinets in videos and photos.

Sharing a video posted by the BJP on X, the Prime Minister said, "In India, who needs 'Money Heist' fiction, when you have the Congress Party, whose heists are legendary for 70 years and counting!"

The BJP shared a spoof of the wildly popular show on X and called it "Congress present the Money Heist" to take a jab at the party. The spoof features the visuals of the cash seized from the Congress MP with the original background score of Netflix-produced 'Money Heist'. Pictures of the Congress MP with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader Rahul Gandhi also feature in the video.

The BJP has been attacking the Congress over its silence on the issue and has termed it as their "nature" on the issue of corruption.

Speaking at the 43rd convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad yesterday, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar referred to the incident and said: "I urge all of you (students), let's invent a machine that can count currency notes at a fast rate."

"I understand Congress is silent as corruption is in their nature but JDU, RJD, DMK, and SP all are sitting silently...Now I understand why a campaign was run against PM Modi that agencies are being misused. It was run because there was a fear in their mind that all the secrets of their corruption would be revealed," Home Minister Amit Shah said.

"Congress party and corruption are the two sides of the same coin. Congress is known for corruption, commission, and criminalisation. Corruption and malpractices are the custom and policies of the Congress," BJP chief JP Nadda alleged, adding that the "black money" seized by the Income Tax department at various places linked to the Congress MP is just a small part of "this person's corruption".

From the Congress. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "They (BJP-led central government) are only targeting Congress. Let them raid BJP leaders as well. Only then will it be known how much (ill-gotten wealth) they have."

Whoever amasses black money is wrong, according to the Income Tax Act, let the I-T department take action as per law, the Chief Minister said.