I-T officials said I can become Chh'garh CM if I topple govt: Coal trader

A coal trader, whose premises were recently searched by the Income Tax department in Chhattisgarh, has claimed that IT sleuths told him that he could become the state chief minister if he uses his relations with MLAs of the ruling Congress to topple the Bhupesh Baghel government with the support of the "opposition".

In a video message being circulated on social media on Sunday, the trader, Suryakant Tiwari, claimed that Income Tax officials told him that he could become "Eknath Shinde of Chhattisgarh" if he frames a CMO official.

The opposition BJP alleged that Tiwari's statement was given at the behest of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, which it termed as baseless.

The Congress, on the other hand, said the BJP was trying to destabilise a democratically-elected government in Chhattisgarh and cited "examples of Karnataka, MP,Manipur, and Maharashtra".

Tiwari also alleged that he was physically and mentally tortured after he refused to implicate a government officer posted at the state Chief Minister's Office (CMO) by giving a false statement.

During the IT search since June 30 at my premises, IT sleuths threatened me and my family members. They mentally and physically tortured me and did not even allow me to sleep for three days.

"They forced me to link Soumya Chourasia, deputy secretary posted at the CMO, with my business anyhow and give statements against her. But the CM's deputy secretary does not have any connection with my business activities, then, why should I implicate her?, Tiwari asked.

He admitted to having family relations with Chourasia and said that he meets her whenever he visits the CM's office for "public works".

"I occasionally talk to her over the phone. I meet her whenever I visit the CM's office for public works. She is not the only officer with whom I have good terms but both in BJP rule and the incumbent government, I share good relations with many officers. But IT officers wanted me to implicate her and therefore they also offered me to become the chief minister by toppling the government, he alleged.

He claimed that IT officials told him that he has good relations with 40-45 MLAs of Congress and asked him to make their list, and then with the support of the "vipaksh" (opposition), the government will be changed.

"They said if I implicate Chourasia, I could become Eknath Shinde of Chhattisgarh, he claimed.

Shinde was sworn in as CM of Maharashtra on June 30 with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy, days after his rebellion against Shiv Sena leadership with 39 MLAs led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government.

I am a businessman and I have faith in the law of this country. I will go to court against the Income Tax department for forcing me to give a wrong statement. I will not succumb to their pressure. Unfortunately, Central agencies are being used as a tool for engineering a change of government in states, he said.

He also slammed senior BJP leader Raman Singh for demanding his arrest and said the search conducted by IT officials should not be given a political colour.

The IT department had recently raided a Chhattisgarh-based group engaged in coal transportation and linked businesses and a senior state government officer on June 30. The searches were conducted in more than 30 locations in Raipur, Bhilai, Raigarh, Korba, Bilaspur and Surajpur.

The premises of Tiwari and Chourasia were covered in the raid.

After the video surfaced on social media, Congress and BJP fired barbs at each other.