Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Monday alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is functioning as BJP’s “Election Department”, referring to the National Herald case.
The ED recently filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others on charges of money laundering in connection with the National Herald case.
“Whenever the Congress raises major issues in the interest of the country and its people — such as caste-based census and reservation according to population — the BJP government starts attacking the Congress with false and unrealistic allegations to defame the party,” Baghel said during a press conference.
“A blatant example of this is the National Herald case. A petition was filed in this matter before the Election Commission in 2012, and the Commission rejected it. Then, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy moved the Enforcement Directorate, which also closed the case in 2015,” Baghel recalled.
He claimed that after the then-chief of the ED was removed, the central agency registered a fresh FIR in the same case and subjected senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to prolonged questioning.
“The ED, which is functioning as the election department of the BJP, filed the chargesheet on the last day of the court’s given timeline. We came to know about the chargesheet against Sonia and Rahul through the media. No notice was served to either of them or to any director of the company,” he added.
Responding to BJP leaders’ claims that the National Herald owns property worth Rs 5,000 crore, Baghel said, “The Income Tax Department has estimated the value to be around Rs 400 crore. This shows the extent of lies being spread by BJP leaders. The property of the National Herald cannot be sold or transferred to any other party.”
He further alleged that the BJP has been campaigning for a “Congress-mukt Bharat,” but has failed to destroy the party despite “misusing” central agencies such as the ED, CBI, Income Tax Department, and even the Election Commission.
“The Congress governments, from Nehru to Manmohan Singh, established numerous institutions and assets for the benefit of the people of this country. But now, the BJP government is selling these one after another to a single person, with the entire government machinery working towards that end,” Baghel claimed.
Asked about the ongoing Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, Baghel said, “Now that there is a triple-engine BJP government in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and at the Centre, they should resolve the matter mutually.”
PTI
