The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided premises linked to at the very least eight ruling Congress leaders and workplace bearers in Chhattisgarh in a cash laundering case linked to the alleged unlawful levies on coal.
The raids got here days earlier than the eighty fifth plenary of the Congress’s central decision-making physique is because of be held in Raipur from February 24 to 26. Over 15,000 delegates will be part of the plenary to debate the political state of affairs, financial system, international coverage, agriculture, employment, social justice, and so forth, and set the tone for the Congress’s 2024 nationwide ballot marketing campaign.
The ED performed searches within the state capital of Raipur and Durg. “Premises of some senior leaders, spokespersons, and a legislator have been raided and extra particulars are awaited,” stated a police official, who didn’t wish to be named.
Folks conscious of the matter stated chief minister Bhupesh Baghel referred to as an emergency assembly to debate the raids.
The ED has alleged a cartel of bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians, and middlemen imposed unlawful levies of ₹25 per tonne on coal transported within the state.
The ED advised a court docket that the cartel was allegedly operating a “parallel system of extorting unlawful levy” and producing about ₹2-3 crore day by day.
On October 11, the company arrested three folks together with Indian Administrative Service officer Sameer Vishnoi and businessman Sunil Agrawal underneath the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act within the case. Businessman and alleged kingpin Suryakant Tiwari is amongst others arrested within the case.
On December 2, ED arrested Baghel’s deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia. It alleged Chaurasia’s WhatsApp chats confirmed she was sharing all the federal government’s confidential info with Tiwari.
In New Delhi, Congress chief Pawan Khera hit out on the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) over the raids and stated ED now stands for “eliminating democracy” or “exterminating democracy”. He added the BJP unleashes raids on events for political positive factors.
Khera stated round 95% of ED’s raids since 2014 when BJP got here to energy on the Centre focused the opposition. He added Congress has been on the receiving finish of raids 24 occasions since 2014.
Khera challenged the federal government to conduct raids in opposition to BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari, BS Yediyurappa, Narayan Rane, and Himanta Biswa Sarma, who’ve instances pending in opposition to them.
Khera questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence over the allegations US short-seller Hindenburg Analysis has leveled in opposition to the Adani Group. “Why isn’t he investigating?”
Congress Member of Parliament Jairam Ramesh stated the ED was raiding their colleagues in Chhattisgarh at Modi’s behest. “5 or 6 of our very senior colleagues have been raided since morning.”
Ramesh accused the federal government of utilizing the ED as a instrument to focus on the opposition occasion. “This clearly is the politics of vendetta, vengeance, harassment…”
He linked the raids to their plenary in Raipur. “We’re not afraid or intimidated and positively don’t have something to cover. Modi’s coverage is concern, deceit, and intimidation; that is his actual coverage.”
He stated Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra purchased a few transformation in politics and its success has shaken the federal government.