Talibani mindset behind the raids on actor Sonu Sood: Shiv Sena

The Income Tax department raided six offices belonging to actor Sonu Sood in Mumbai Yesterday. Today, officials arrived at his home office related to the charity he runs to investigate his real estate deal with a Lucknow-based company.

Sources claimed that the IT department is calling the operation a "survey" and is alleging tax evasion on the land deal, reported NDTV.

Opposition parties have pointed out that the raids are taking place days after Sonu Sood met with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who declared him a brand ambassador for a "Desh ka Mentors" programme for school students. His meeting with the AAP leader had spurred rumours that Sood might make a political debut in Punjab elections in 2022.

Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said that BJP is following a "Talibani" ideology and the raid is "selective targeting".

The BJP has responded to the allegation, saying that the raids were not driven by politics. BJP's Maharashtra MLA Ram Kadam said that the operations are transparent. "If any central agency takes any action, the entire opposition along with Congress calls it political. Should these agencies stop working?" he asked.

Sonu Sood had told the media that no politics was discussed in his meeting with Kejriwal. He has always said that his charity has nothing to do with politics.

The actor earned the tag of "messiah of migrants" during the Covid-19 pandemic after arranging buses, trains, and flights to take hundreds of stranded people to their villages. He also organised oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients during the second wave.