The Congress warned about the ED raids in Chhattisgarh by saying, “2024 is coming…the weather changes.”
In a case of money laundering, the Enforcement Directorate raided places in Raipur that were linked to eight Congress leaders and office holders just days before the party’s plenary session.
The latest example of “third-grade” politics was seen in Raipur this morning, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Monday. He was referring to raids by the Enforcement Directorate on properties linked to Congress leaders in an alleged coal levy scam in Chhattisgarh. A few days before the party’s three-day plenary session in Raipur, the ED searched the homes and offices of Congress leaders. More than 10,000 Congress members and top leaders are expected to take part in the event, which starts on February 24.
Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference that the raids won’t slow down Congress and that the plenary session will go on as planned.
“I have no idea how long the raids will last. “These raids have given us a boost to be even tougher on the Prime Minister and his third-rate politics of vendettas and harassment,” the Rajya Sabha member said.
Mallikarjun Kharge, who is president of Congress, said that most of the ED raids on opposition leaders in the last nine years have been on Congress members. Kharge called the ED raids “cowardice of BJP” before Congress’ plenary session. He also said that the “huge success of Bharat Jodo Yatra” made it clear that the saffron party was worried about how well the Bharat Jodo Yatra was doing.
“If Modi ji has even a little bit of honesty, then raid the mega-scams of your ‘best friend,'” Kharge said, referring to the troubled billionaire Gautam Adani, who is thought to be close with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He wrote on Twitter, “We will stand firm against this attempt to crush democracy.”
Pawan Khera, who is in charge of the media for the Congress, warned that his party could also fight back in states where it is still in power.
“We are in power in many states and will be in more in the coming days. General elections are coming up in 2024, and the weather is changing,” Khera said, calling ED “Eliminating Democracy.”
A top police official said that the ED is searching in the state capital, Raipur, and the district of Durg.
Bhupesh Baghel, the chief minister of Chhattisgarh, criticised the BJP, saying that such actions will not bring down the morale of party leaders who are working to get ready for the party’s next plenary session.
“In four days, there will be a meeting of the whole Congress in Raipur. Stopping our colleagues from getting ready for the session in this way will not break our spirits. The BJP is upset that “Bharat Jodo Yatra” was a success and that the truth about Adani came out. This raid is a way to get people to stop looking at them. The truth is known by the country. In a tweet, the CM said, “We will fight and win.”
He called for a meeting of top Congress leaders at 10 a.m. at his official home.
