ED raids Chhattisgarh Congress leaders, party targets Centre

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided premises linked to at least eight ruling Congress leaders and office bearers in Chhattisgarh in a money laundering case linked to illegal levies on coal.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided premises linked to at least eight ruling Congress leaders and office bearers in Chhattisgarh in a money laundering case linked to illegal levies on coal, evoking a strong response from the party, which sought to link the agency’s action to its upcoming plenary in the state, an allegation which was promptly refuted by the Union finance minister.

Security personnel outside the residence of a Congress leader during a raid by ED in Raipur on Monday. (PTI)

In the raids, which came five days before the 85th plenary of the Congress’s central decision-making body is due to be held in state capital Raipur from February 24 to 26, ED conducted searches at several locations across at least three districts.

Terming the raids are politically motivated , Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party was afraid of the Congress and misusing central agencies to crush the voices of political opponents.

“ The BJP was nervous when the Congress took out the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and now they are afraid of the plenary session going to be held in Raipur. But we are not afraid of such acts and we will emerge stronger and make the event a grand success,” Baghel said in a press conference.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh accused the government of using ED as a tool to target the opposition party. “This clearly is the politics of vendetta, vengeance, harassment...”

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected the charge and stated that agencies act only after amassing enough proof. “ Investigative agencies do their huge homework and only when they have necessary prima facie material in their hand only then they go [and raid], it can’t be done overnight by instinct.”

Accusing the Congress of indulging in corruption, she said: “Instead of accusing us of vindictiveness, Congress should explain to the people and its plenary as to why their chiefs are on bail given on matters of mismanaging party funds… Congress party should not speak at all on corruption.”

ED has alleged a cartel of bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians, and middlemen imposed illegal levies of ₹25 per tonne on coal transported in the state.

ED told a court that the cartel was allegedly running a “parallel system of extorting illegal levy” and generating about ₹2-3 crore daily.

Congress leaders stage a sit-in in front of the residences of leaders who were raided. The National Students Union of India, the student wing of Congress, staged a protest in Raipur. And local Congress leaders also protested in front on the ED office of Raipur.

On October 11, the agency arrested three people including Indian Administrative Service officer Sameer Vishnoi and businessman Sunil Agrawal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the case. Businessman and alleged mastermind Suryakant Tiwari is among others arrested in the case.

On December 2, ED arrested Baghel’s deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia. It alleged that Chaurasia’s WhatsApp chats showed she was sharing all the government’s confidential information with Tiwari.