BJP claims Sukhvinder Sukhu link with ED, IT raids in Kangra, Hamirpur, Congress hits back
BJP alleges incriminating documents recovered in raids on Himachal Pradesh CM's confidants. Congress calls it political vendetta before elections.
: Days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and income tax (IT) department teams raided establishments and houses of businessmen and contractors, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday alleged that agencies recovered incriminating documents and two confidants of Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are involved in irregularities worth crores.
The raids in question were conducted on June 29 and July 4 in Hamirpur and Kangra districts. The investigation agencies collected documents after conducting raids at jewellery shops, petrol pumps and stone crushers.
In a statement issued in Shimla, BJP leaders alleged that the ED has drawn certain inferences regarding large-scale illegal mining and found that the chief minister’s confidants Gian Chand and Pratap Chand are involved in irregularities.
Congress leader and industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, horticulture and tribal development minister Jagat Singh Negi dubbed the raids as “political vendetta”.
“Enforcement raids are part of the Centre’s functioning, but raids amid the elections raise many questions,” Negi said while addressing mediapersons in Shimla, adding that attempts were being made to malign the CM;s image.
“Raids were aimed at influencing the elections,” Negi claimed, further alleging that the BJP is using central agencies to intimidate the Congress and officials sensing an imminent defeat in the bypolls.
