'Conspiracy to manage headlines': Cong slams ED raids on premises of Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh

New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) The Congress on Monday charged that the ED raids on the premises of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel were a "conspiracy to manage headlines" on a day when Parliament's Budget session reconvened and the government faces questions from the opposition on multiple issues.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided the premises of Baghel as part of a money laundering investigation against his son in the alleged liquor scam case, official sources said.

Baghel's office on his X handle said the "false case" against him is carrying on for the last seven years. It also said that no one will be able to stop the Congress in Punjab, where Baghel has just taken over as in-charge of party affairs.

"When the false case going on for seven years was dismissed in the court, today ED guests have entered the Bhilai residence of former chief minister, Congress general secretary Bhupesh Baghel this morning. If someone is trying to stop Congress in Punjab through this conspiracy, then it is a misunderstanding," the Baghel's office said in the post in Hindi.

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said that the raids look like a "conspiracy" to manage headlines when the opposition is seeking to corner the government in Parliament over several issues.

"Today, when the Parliament session is starting, the BJP, which is cornered from all sides, got the ED to raid the house of senior Congress leader, Mr Bhupesh Baghel ji, in order to change the headlines and divert the country's attention from tariff, falling economy, voter list fraud, etc," he charged.

"The BJP should understand that it will neither be able to stop the Congress, nor any of our leaders. We are not afraid, nor will we be afraid," Khera said in his post on X.

In a video statement shared on X, he also said no one knows why the ED raid is being conducted against Bhupesh Baghel at his residence in Bhilai. A few days ago the court had cancelled a case against Baghel and now there is no case against him, he claimed.

Several Congress leaders came out in support of Baghel, saying suvch tactics would not deter him or the party from speaking against the BJP.

In a post on X, AICC general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal termed the raids as distractive tactics by the government to avoid answers on key issues in Parliament.

"These are distractive tactics; whenever the Parliament session is on, the burning issues of the people need to be discussed, but they want to run away from these issues... Government doesn't want to discuss people centric issues. Therefore, whenever Parliament session is on, they do these distractive tactics. Let them do that," he said.

Another Congress general secretary Kumari Selja said the raid at Bhupesh Baghel's place is completely politically motivated.

"Baghel ji was targeted even before the elections. Now the same trend is continuing again. The BJP government uses ED and other agencies against its political rivals. But the Congress party is not going to be suppressed by these things," she said.

Senior party leader Sukhjinder Randhawa said Bhupesh Baghel is the Congress in-charge of Punjab, hence the BJP is trying to scare the Congress in Punjab through him.

"But we are not going to be afraid at any cost. We will continue to work for the betterment of Punjab," he asserted.

Congress leader Ranjeet Ranjan said those who do not go into the BJP's "washing machine" are subjected to raid-like attacks. "This is an old game of the BJP. Bhupesh Baghel ji and his family are being constantly harassed. It has been said repeatedly that the country's agencies are not independent. But our leader and Bhupesh Baghel ji are not going to be afraid," she said.

Khera said the Parliament session is starting today and the BJP is seeking to distract and indulge in some headline management.

"It is possible that is a conspiracy to that end. It is also possible that Bhupesh Baghel has started activities in Punjab where he is in-charge of party affairs and thus is an attempt to disturb him in Punjab. But ED certainly is acting as an arm of the government and this will not be forgotten," he said.

The ED also raided the premises of Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel and others.

According to the sources, the premises of Chaitanya Baghel in Bhillai (Durg district), his alleged close associate Laxmi Narayan Bansal alias Pappu Bansal, and some others are also being searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Chaitanya Baghel shares the Bhillai accommodation with his father and hence the premises are being covered. He (Chaitanya Baghel) is suspected to be the "recipient" of the proceeds of crime of the liquor scam, they said, adding about 14-15 premises are being raided in the state.

The ED earlier said the Chhattisgarh liquor "scam" resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with more than Rs 2,100 crore of proceeds of crime. PTI SKC SKC KVK KVK

Source: PTI