Booster dose for us: Jairam after ED raids party leaders' offices

NEW DELHI: Reacting to the raids by the Enforcement Directorate against Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that these raids worked as a booster dose for Congress and prompt them to be more aggressive against the Prime Minister's "vendetta politics" .

"I don't know how long the raids will continue. These raids have given us a booster dose to be even more aggressive to the Prime Minister and his third-grade politics of vendetta and harassment," Jairam Ramesh said in a press briefing.

He also alleged that the federal agency is not used where it is required. "PM Modi doesn't unleash ED where it's required. They have a fair and lovely scheme.

Those on whom ED was unleashed in past, became innocent after joining BJP," he added. Earlier, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel also launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the wake of ED raids in the state and said that the crackdown shows BJP's frustration with the success of Bharat Jodo Yatra and the revelation of Adani by Hindenburg report.

Taking to Twitter, he said, "Today the ED has raided the houses of many of my colleagues, including the treasurer of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, the former vice-president of the party and an MLA. After four days there is a Congress convention in Raipur.

Our spirits cannot be broken by stopping our people engaged in preparations like this." "BJP is frustrated with the success of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and the truth of Adani being revealed.

This raid is an attempt to divert attention. The country knows the truth. We will fight and win," CM Baghel tweeted.

Earlier today, ED conducted fresh searches at nearly a dozen locations in Chhattishgarh in mining and alleged coal levy scam.

The places searched include residential and office premises of various Congress leaders naming Ram Gopal Agarwal, Girish Devangan, RP Singh, Vinod Tiwari ad Sunny Agrawal, said sources.

The investigation relates to "a massive scam in which illegal levy of Rs 25 was being extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen" , the agency has alleged.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia, Vishnoi, coal trader and alleged "main kingpin of the scam" Suryakant Tiwari, his uncle Laxmikant Tiwari and another coal businessman Sunil Agrawal have been arrested in this case till now.

The money laundering case stems from an Income Tax department complaint that was registered following raids by the taxman in June 2022.