‘ED BJP’s Election Department’: Cong slams raids on premises of Punjab CM’s nephew
In a video posted on Twitter, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “Modiji, remember one thing, you have used ED, CBI, Income Tax department and the CBDT against several Congress leaders. But we will neither be afraid nor bow down.”
The Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over raids carried out by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew.
In a video posted on Twitter, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “Modiji, remember one thing, you have used ED, CBI, Income Tax department and the CBDT against several Congress leaders. But we will neither be afraid nor bow down.”
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Citing Channi’s identity, Surjewala said the BJP is insulting a Dalit who became the state's CM and that those belonging to backward communities will not forgive the saffron party.
Surjewala also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of working in an alliance with the BJP as Arvind Kejriwal was the first one to attack the Punjab CM over Tuesday's raids.
“The BJP and Arvind Kejriwal are unable to digest the fact how a Dalit took over as the chief minister of Punjab. The ED is not the enforcement directorate but the BJP's election department,” Surjewala said.
“Today we saw the limit of vindictiveness. To seek revenge on a Dalit chief minister, the ED has been unleashed in Punjab, with which the chief minister and his family have nothing to do,” he added.
Also Read| Punjab CM Channi slams ED raids on nephew, reminds agency of Bengal episode
Earlier in the day, the ED raided at least 10-12 locations in Punjab as part of a money-laundering probe against the 'sand mafia' and companies linked to alleged illegal sand mining.
Among the raids, the ED covered the premises linked to Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, who is the nephew of the chief minister.
Later, Channi said these raids were a way of putting pressure on him ahead of the assembly elections in Punjab. "Raids are being conducted on the premises of my nephew. They are targeting me and are trying to put pressure on me in view of upcoming Assembly polls. This is not good for democracy. We're ready to fight this," he said.