ED acting like locusts in Rajasthan, Congress wins wherever ED-IT conduct raid: Gehlot

JAIPUR: After ED conducted raids on the premises of state Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara and summoned Rajasthan Chief Minister's son Vaibhav, Ashok Gehlot on Thursday attacked the central government, accusing it of misusing the investigating agencies.

“These people are using ED like locusts. The way locusts come here from Pakistan, they eat everything and destroy crops. ED has also attacked like locusts,” he said.

“This is not a trivial matter. There is no case against Dotasra and Vaibhav Gehlot and raids are conducted without a case," he added.

Gehlot said, "Wherever elections are held, ED-Income Tax raids start there first. Raids were conducted 22 times in Karnataka, Congress won there. The wind of Congress is blowing in Chhattisgarh, raids are going on continuously there. The Chief Minister is being continuously harassed there. In Rajasthan, I have said many times that the people feel like repeating the government, that is why they are facing problems. They are scaring and threatening people. Wherever ED has conducted raids, Congress government has been formed there. Same thing will happen in Rajasthan also."

Gehlot said: "ED conducted 108 searches between 2004 and 2014 during UPA rule. These searches were done on the basis of genuine complaints. At that time challans were presented against 104 out of 108. 3010 raids were conducted during the nine-year tenure of the NDA government. Of these, charge sheet was presented in only 881 cases, which is only 39 per cent. In the UPA government, there were 93 per cent challans."

"If someone joins BJP, the person gets rid of all wrongdoings. What allegations did the PM not make about Ajit Pawar? He joined the government in Maharashtra. He was made Deputy CM and Finance Minister. What will you say about making the person Finance Minister against whom allegations were made the?," Gehlot questioned

Regarding the summons to his son, Gehlot said, "I have been hearing for about 5-10 years that a complaint has been made against him. Yesterday ED summon came asking him to appear on October 26. We are not afraid of these people, tomorrow we are going to give five more guarantees to Rajasthan.”

Gehlot further said that there was a complaint against Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in investment matters in Ethiopia. SOG is repeatedly requesting ED to take action, but no action has been taken.

"ED cannot come without pressure from top. How many times have we requested the ED in the Sanjeevani case, but the investigation has not been done till now. Gajendra Shekhawat has properties in many countries including Ethiopia. We requested ED, but no one cared, said Gehlot.

“What will be left if the country's premium agencies like CBI, ED, Income Tax do not have credibility? These agencies had credibility. Today the opposite is happening. The situation prevailing today is a worrying situation. The question is not about raids on the locations of my son and PCC Chief. The question is about the credibility of these agencies. These agencies have created terror in the entire country. In Chhattisgarh, ED officers have taken houses on rent there for the last 6-7 months. They have settled there because action has to be taken every day," he added.

Gehlot said, “The raid on the party chief matters… No case registered, no complaint, yet the raid was conducted directly."

He also said that what is the credibility of Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who made complaint to ED in this matter?

Gehlot said, "Kirodi Lal Meena went inside the locker and sat on strike saying that Rs 500 crores were lying inside. Tomorrow one of our leaders will go and stage a protest saying that there is Rs 800 crore at such and such a place, will ED come? What was the work of ED in the Ganpati Plaza lockers case? This was the work of the Income Tax Department."

Gehlot said that Govind Singh Dotasra is the son of a farmer. “Ever since he joined politics, he has been working day and night. There was no let up in raising the voice of every section in the Assembly also. No one can defend our governance the way he has, that is why he has been targeted,” he added.

Gehlot said, "We are not going to panic. No leader of the Congress party is going to panic. No matter how much they misuse ED-Income Tax.”

He said, “Right now, we have given two guarantees and our two leaders raided. We are going to give five more guarantees. First decide which five more leaders are to be raided. Instead of winning the hearts of the people with your policies and programmes, you are acting like a bully.”

“Vaibhav Gehlot had a taxi business with Ratan Sharma, from whom they later separated. Vaibhav Gehlot has been summoned in a 10-year-old case. Vaibhav Gehlot had a capital of around Rs 25 lakh. The company under that hotel is giving answers on how many shares were sold and to whom,” the CM said.

Congress' state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, "BJP should also include ED and Income Tax in its lotus symbol. ED has come to promote BJP in Rajasthan. Can't ED go to Madhya Pradesh and Haryana? There are allegations against their leaders. Why are ED raids taking place only in Congress-ruled states?"

Former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot also commented on ED raids. "We are not afraid of these raids. Due to this, BJP's nervousness is visible in Rajasthan," he added.