‘Emperors in Delhi’: Congress jabs PM Modi after raids on Gehlot’s brother
Rajasthan political crisis: Congress has accused the BJP-led central government of using central agencies to pressure its MLAs
The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership in Delhi has created a ‘raid raj’ and is using federal agencies to arm twist lawmakers to bring down the Ashok Gehlot government, the Congress said on Wednesday after the Enforcement Directorate carried out raids at premises of the Rajasthan chief minister Gehlot’s brother. The raids are said to be linked to investigations into money laundering charges against Agrasen Gehlot into what has been described as a fertiliser scam.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, who has been camping in Jaipur to help the Gehlot government survive a rebellion led by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, said the latest round of raids were ordered by the BJP leadership after three previous attempts to arm twist Congress leaders and lawmakers did not succeed.
The emperors in Delhi believe that they can crush any government at any point of time, Surjewala said. When the BJP’s attempts did not succeed, the central agencies were called in to help out.
The first round started on July 13 when the BJP started executing its plan to dislodge the Ashok Gehlot government. Income tax officials had carried out raids on three business groups and individuals. Those raids targeted Rajiv Arora of Amrapali Jewels, who is also the Vice President of Rajasthan Congress, Dharmendra Rathore and Ratan Kant Sharma who owns the Fairmont hotel on the outskirts of Jaipur where the Congress has sequestered its lawmakers.
“On July 20 and July 21, the CBI questioned MLA Krishna Poonia who brought laurels to the country in the Olympics. Why when BJP is conspiring to topple the government, CBI quizzed Poonia? Yesterday chief minister’s OSD Devaram Saini was also quizzed,” Surjewala said.
Krishna Poonia and Devaram Saini were questioned in connection to the death of a police officer Vishnudutt Vishno who was found dead at his residence in Churu district on May 23.
Surjewala said the raids and summons for questioning by central agencies may have succeeded in other states but would not succeed in Rajasthan.
On Wednesday, Enforcement Directorate officials accompanied by a team of Central Reserve Police Force officials, started searches at six places in Rajasthan, four in Gujarat, two in West Bengal, and one in New Delhi in connection with the scam.
ED officials have said Agrasen Gehlot is the owner of a company named Anupam Krishi, on which the Customs department has levied a penalty of Rs 7 crore for alleged violations.
