Attempts to tarnish image of Chhattisgarh govt, ED torturing everyone, says CM Baghel

New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday trained his guns at the BJP government at the centre saying that there are attempts to tarnish the image of the state government and also alleged that it is using Enforcement Directorate (ED) to torture everyone.

He also said that now it seems that the agency will contest elections in place of the saffron party candidates.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Baghel said, “There have been attempts to suppress and tarnish the image of the Chhattisgarh government. It all started after they (BJP) were defeated in Jharkhand Assembly elections.”

Hitting out at the BJP government at the centre, he said that be it any investigating agencies, they are only working at the behest of the BJP government. ED had recently conducted raids in the houses of my political consultant and officer on special duty.

“What I came to know is that the ED did not even allow anyone to even sleep for more than 40 hours. ED is holding people hostage for more than three to five days in their own home and does not even allow them to purchase medicines if someone is ill. This is a pure torture,” he said.

“It seems that ED will contest elections against us, and not the BJP candidates.”

He alleged that the ED is threatening people to sign this paper or else they will send them to jail.

“More than 200 raids have been conducted in Chhattisgarh. The central government is getting all this done. Everyone knows about Sanjay Mishra (ED Director),” the Chief Minister said.

“In the next few months, a team of 200-250 personnel of I-T will conduct raids across Chhattisgarh...As they conduct more raids, their seats will decrease...”

Lashing out at the BJP government without naming anyone the Congress leader said that Home Minister Amit Shah visits the state and only stays inside of the BJP office and returns back.

"I posted on my X handle about the ED raids. I wrote there that on the occasion of my birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah gifted ED raids in the houses of my OSD and political consultant," Baghel said.

His remarks came a day after the ED arrested an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Chandrabhushan Verma of Chhattisgarh Police and three others -- Satish Chandrakar, Anil Dammani and Sunil Dammani -- as part of its ongoing investigation into the Mahadev app money laundering case.

The ED had initiated a PMLA investigation based on FIRs registered by the Chhattisgarh Police. The FIRs were registered by the Vishakhapatnam Police and other states were taken on record.

Searches were conducted at multiple locations by the ED on August 21 and 23 during which a large amount of incriminating documents were seized.

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