Dhiraj Prasad Sahu
{{short description|Indian politician and businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| name = Dhiraj Prasad Sahu
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birthdate and age|1959|11|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lohardaga
| residence =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Marwari College, Ranchi
| constituency =
| office = MP of Rajya Sabha for Jharkhand
| term_start = 4 May 2018
| term_end =
| predecessor = Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu, INC
| successor =
| term_start1 = 24 June 2009
| term_end1 = 7 July 2016
| predecessor1 = Yashwant Sinha
| successor1 = Mahesh Poddar, BJP
| party = Indian National Congress
| religion =
| spouse =
| father =Baldeo Sahu
| mother =Shushila Devi
| relatives =Shiv Prasad Sahu (brother)
| children =
| website =
| footnotes =
| date =
| year =
| source =
}}
Dhiraj Prasad Sahu (born 23 November 1959) is an Indian businessman and a politician from the Indian National Congress Party. He was elected to Rajya Sabha from the state of Jharkhand on the ticket of INC in July 2010.{{cite web|title=Detailed Profile: Shri Sahu |url=http://www.archive.india.gov.in/govt/rajyasabhampbiodata.php?mpcode=2107|accessdate=14 October 2015}}
Early life
He is son of social worker Baldeo Sahu and Shushila Devi. He is brother of former member of parliament Shiv Prasad Sahu.{{cite web|url=https://m.livehindustan.com/jharkhand/lohardaga/story-mp-dhiraj-prasad-sahu-meets-rahul-gandhi-1896063.html|website=livehindustan|title=राहुल गांधी से मिले सांसद धीरज प्रसाद साहू|date=10 April 2018|access-date=23 September 2019}}
He has studied B. A. and resides at Lohardaga.{{cite web|title=Dhiraj Prasad Sahu|url=http://myneta.info/rajsab09aff/candidate.php?candidate_id=269|website=myNeta.info|accessdate=14 October 2015}}
He was elected to Rajya Sabha from state of Jharkhand of the ticket of INC in July 2010.
He is son of Industrialist & social worker of the erstwhile Chotanagpur (division of State of Bihar, now Jharkhand) Late Shri Rai Sahab Baldeo Sahu, who was also involved in freedom struggle.{{Cite web |title=Dhiraj Prasad Sahu {{!}} Dhiraj Prasad Sahu is the politician from Indian National Congress Party |url=https://dhirajsahu.in/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |language=en-US}}
Career
He joined politics in 1977. He was jailed during Jail Bharo Andolan in 1978. In June 2009 he was elected to Rajya Sabha and again reelected to Rajya Sabha in July 2010.
Controversies
= 2023 IT raids =
In December 2023, the Income Tax Department conducted several raids on Sahu's premises across districts in Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal and over {{INRConvert|353|c|lk=on}} cash and gold has been seized.{{Cite web |last=News |first=Hindi Pradesh |date=2023-12-11 |title=350 करोड़ की नकदी के साथ आयकर विभाग ने की कांग्रेस सांसद के ठिकानों पर छापेमारी |url=https://www.hindipradeshnews.com/income-tax-raids-congress-mp-uncovers-%e2%82%b9350-crore-cash/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |language=en-US |archive-date=13 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213034946/https://www.hindipradeshnews.com/income-tax-raids-congress-mp-uncovers-%E2%82%B9350-crore-cash/ |url-status=dead }} The authorities had to deploy a significant strength of officials and cash-counting machines to count the seized cash. According to the details, initially, more than 30 officers along with bank staff were involved in the counting of the seized money. To speed up the counting the notes, the IT department deployed nearly 40 large and small machines and brought in more department and bank staffers.{{Cite web |title=Congress MP's old tweets slamming notes ban emerge amid cash haul, BJP sneers |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/dheeraj-sahu-congress-mp-tweet-demonetisation-income-tax-raid-bjp-shehzad-poonawalla-attacks-2474217-2023-12-10 |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=India Today |date=10 December 2023 |language=en}}
Indian National Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the party "is in no way connected with the businesses" of Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, the MP in whose premises the IT department uncovered the cash stack.
"Only he can explain, and should explain, how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties," added Jairam Ramesh.{{Cite web |title=Congress distances itself from MP amid Rs 300 crore cash haul in tax raid |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/congress-distances-from-mp-dheeraj-sahu-income-tax-odisha-jharkhand-2474081-2023-12-09 |access-date=2023-12-10 |website=India Today |date=9 December 2023 |language=en}}
Sahu responded to the raid by saying that the money was related to his liquor firm and had nothing to do with the Congress or other parties. He refuted the BJP's allegation that the recovered cash was black money, saying that the source of the money was business firms run by him and his family.{{Cite news |title=ED tightens its grip on Jharkhand Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu |url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/jharkhand/ranchi/ed-summons-congress-rajya-sabha-mp-from-jharkhand-dhiraj-prasad-sahu-in-hemant-soren-case-amh |work=Prabhat Khabar}}
He told people to let the Income Tax Department to decide whether the money was white or black. He has also said that he would give an account for everything.{{Cite web |title=Cash belongs to family, nothing to do with Congress: Jharkhand MP amid tax raids |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/congress-dhiraj-sahu-income-tax-raids-odisha-jharkhand-cash-recovered-2476560-2023-12-15 |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=India Today |date=15 December 2023 |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sahu, Dhiraj Prasad}}
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Jharkhand
Category:People from Ranchi district
Category:People from Lohardaga district
Category:Rajya Sabha members from Jharkhand
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