The Congress on Wednesday approached the Election Commission (EC) alleging misuse of probe agencies in Chhattisgarh, saying “the BJP which is hurtling towards a certain defeat in the state has now roped in their ‘election department’ [referring to the the Enforcement Directorate (ED)]”.
It also sought the intervention of the poll panel to restrain the ED from its election time actions like conducting raids and issuing statements aimed at damaging the Congress’ prospects and helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A Congress delegation led by senior Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Tariq Anwar and Udit Raj met the poll panel and submitted their memorandum.
Speaking to the media, Singhvi said: “Some very strange things are happening in the central government, in the BJP party and in the ED. As far as the election in Chhattisgarh is concerned, it is self-evident to anybody who knows anything of the ground in Chhattisgarh that the BJP is hurtling towards the certain defeat.
“Therefore, they have now roped in their election department, their ally, coalition partner, the ED, to start something quite amazing,” he alleged.
Referring to the Mahadev betting app case, the Congress leader said that a probe started on a registered case by the Chhattisgarh government on March 2022, eighteen months ago which led to 499 arrests, hundreds of phones and laptops seized.
He said that investigation were conducted in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana etc, and all handed over to the central government.
“The Central government does nothing… they don’t ban the app till two days ago, they don’t arrest anybody. They tell people to do interview, sitting in Dubai against Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. They make an allegation that so much money, Rs 538 crore has travelled across the borders from Dubai to India,” he said.
Firing salvos at the government, the Congress leader questioned who manages the Customs?
“Who has the RAW, the IB, who has the border police?”
He said that it is also an insult to the EC, apparently the allegation by the BJP suggests that under the nose of the poll panel money is moving, and “how is Chhattisgarh responsible for it”.
“Does the jurisdiction of the Chhattisgarh government go beyond the borders of India?” Singhvi questioned.
He also condemned the “cheap politicization” of this whole issue because they (BJP) are losing the elections.
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