A day after becoming a “free man”, Nitin Gadkari today held out a threat to income tax authorities, probing dubious fundings in the Purti group with which he was associated, saying nobody would save them when the BJP came to power at the Centre.
“As the BJP president I had to maintain dignity and work within boundaries... Now I am a free man. Congress’ boat is about to sink and when our party comes to power, there would be no Chidambaram or Sonia to save them (IT officials),” Gadkari said addressing party workers, a day after demitting office.
On home turf for the first time since the on-field inquiries by taxmen on Tuesday put paid to his hope of getting a second straight term as BJP chief, Gadkari said,”Earlier CBI was doing Congress’s bidding and now the Income tax people are following suit.
“I know how they are hatching conspiracies against me sitting in Delhi, Nagpur and Pune....I also know their names. Some people in the organisation sympathetic to me and the BJP have told me about this,” he said.
IT’s on-field inquiries at 11 premises in Mumbai belonging to alleged shell companies related to the Purti Group on January 22, a day ahead of the election for the post of the BJP president, which Gadkari looked all set to win with the RSS backing, had forced a rethink and he was finally elbowed out of the contest.