New Delhi: The Congress on Monday (February 20, 2023) termed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against its party leaders in Chhattisgarh as an example of “third-rate politics” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking after ED conducted fresh searches across Chhattisgarh as part of an ongoing investigation into the coal levy money laundering case, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that his party will not be intimidated by such “tactics”.
This is not ‘Amrit Kaal’ but an “undeclared emergency”, he said at a joint press conference with Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera.
Ramesh alleged that the probe agencies are being misused by the present regime.
He said 17 opposition parties have already come together against the grant of powers to the ED under the PMLA and the opposition will jointly file the review petition in the Supreme Court against its previous judgment on the issue.
The two leaders charged that the prime minister is practising the politics of “vendetta and vengeance” by raiding Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh.
Their reactions came after the central probe agency on Monday conducted searches at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including at premises linked to Congress party leaders.
The raids come days before the three-day plenary session of the Congress party from February 24-26 in the state capital Raipur.
BJP ‘frustrated’ with Gautam Adani’s truth revelation: Bhupesh Baghel after ED raids Chhattisgarh Congress leaders
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also reacted to ED raids and alleged that the crackdown shows BJP’s frustration over the party convention in the state’s capital and the true revelation of industrialist Gautam Adani by Hindenburg report.
Taking to Twitter, he said, “Today the ED has raided the houses of many of my colleagues, including the treasurer of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, the former vice-president of the party, and an MLA. After four days there is a Congress convention in Raipur. Our spirits cannot be broken by stopping our people engaged in preparations like this.”
The Congress leader also said that the raids show the level of frustration of the BJP in the wake of Bharat Jodo Yatra`s success and Hindenburg`s report on Adani`s truth.
“BJP is frustrated with the success of `Bharat Jodo Yatra` and the truth of Adani being revealed. This raid is an attempt to divert attention. The country knows the truth. We will fight and win,” he tweeted.
According to officials, the ED searches are underway since early this morning at over a dozen locations that include those of Congress MLA Devendra Yadav in Bhilai (Durg district), Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal, chairman of Chhattisgarh State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Sushil Sunny Agrawal and party’s state spokesperson RP Singh in Raipur.
The ED is reportedly investigating those who have been the “beneficiaries” of the proceeds of crime of the alleged coal levy scam perpetrated during the tenure of the current government.
The ED investigation relates to “a massive scam in which an illegal levy of Rs 25 was being extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen”, the agency has alleged.
Nine persons, including state administrative service officer Chaurasia, Suryakant Tiwari, his uncle Laxmikant Tiwari, Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi and another coal businessman Sunil Agrawal have been arrested by it till now in the case.
Bureau Report
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