Where will you hide when BJP is in power: Gadkari to I-T

Former Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari, who was given a rousing reception on his arrival in Nagpur on Thursday, described the charges against him as a conspiracy by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, and threatened to sort out the income tax officials involved in conducting raids on his firms.

Officials of the income tax department had raided the offices of Gadkari's Purti group of companies. His companies are under the scanner for alleged financial irregularities.

Gadkari said he knew who all were conspiring against him, and said where would income tax officials hide when the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power.

"Congress is on its way out of power and IT department should realise this. Once the Congress will be out of power, where will you go. There will be no Sonia or Chidambaram to protect you," he said on his arrival in Nagpur.

Gadkari said it was a political conspiracy to malign his image by highlighting issues to which he was not connected.

"False allegations were made against me with issues that I had nothing to do with. I am going to fight it out till I come clean," he said. Gadkari said there was only one ruler in the Congress while the others were her (Sonia Gandhi's) servants.

The BJP has alleged that the ruling Congress misused the income tax department to target opponents, as it had done with the Central Bureau of Investigation.

This is the second time Gadkari has threatened I-T sleuths.