Enforcement Directorate raids premises of 7 Cong leaders in Chhattisgarh

Party convention in Raipur in 4 days, searches a bid to divert attention: Baghel

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided premises of seven prominent Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh ahead of the party's plenary session starting February 24.

The development added significance as the leaders grilled by the economic intelligence agency were assigned to look after the arrangement of Congress’ 85th AICC Plenary Session, to be held in Raipur from February 24-26. Over 15,000 delegates are scheduled to attend the session for which final preparations are going on.

The raids come in the backdrop of the arrests in the coal levy scam in which nine people, including IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, State Administrative Service Officer Soumya Chaurasia, have been arrested. The ED had alleged that of the total kickbacks in the coal levy, ~52 crore went to the senior leader of a political party and ~4 crore to some Chhattisgarh MLAs.

However, the ED is yet to come out with an official statement on the reason behind Monday’s raids. Unconfirmed reports, however, said the fresh action of ED was related to reported serious irregularities in the liquor trade.

Escorted by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, 36 ED teams reached two dozen places in Raipur, Bhilai, Balodabazar, and Dhamtari on Monday morning. Besides two MLAs — Devendra Yadav and Chandradev Rai — the central agency raided properties of Chhattisgarh Congress treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal, Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) Chairman Girish Dewangan, Chairman of Building Workers’ Welfare Board Sushil Sunny Agrawal, state Congress spokesperson R P Singh and party leader Vinod Tiwari.

State Congress leaders said the timing of the raids raised suspicion as preparations for the party’s plenary session are in full swing. Congress leaders and workers lodged protests and staged dharna outside the residences of leaders when the ED searches were underway.

“There is a Congress convention in Raipur in four days. Our spirit can’t be broken by stopping our leaders... the BJP is frustrated with the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the truth of Adani being exposed. This raid is an attempt to divert attention. The country knows the truth. We will fight and win,” Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said.  

He said the central agencies had been taking such actions whenever there was a major Congress event.

BJP Chhattisgarh President and Member of Parliament Arun Sao said the “head of the state” was firmly backing the corrupt. “Why is the Congress supporting those involved in shady deals when ED raids earlier had resulted in seizure of huge cash?” Sao said.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “If anything, these raids have increased our determination. If anything, these raids have given us a booster dose to be even more aggressive against the Prime Minister and his third-rate politics of vengeance, vendetta and harassment.”

Rejecting the Congress’ charge that the raids were vendetta politics, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused the party of indulging in “spit and run” tactics. “The Congress should not speak on corruption at all and then bring in the angle of vindictiveness. It’s a shame. Congress governments, one after the other from the first one, have gotten out of power only on issues related to corruption,” she told reporters in the national capital.

(With inputs from PTI)