RAIPUR: Slamming the Centre for "unleashing" the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the income tax (I-T) department against the "non BJP-ruled states", Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday said that now it's the turn of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and southern states after Maharashtra.
"After the change of guard in Maharashtra, the central agencies like ED, IT and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will now turn towards Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and southern states," Baghel said.
In the past eight years, no such action has been taken against any BJP-ruled state, and these raids are the Centre's attempt to control the opposition parties, leaders and states, he said.
"Such actions posed a threat to democracy,” he told reporters during his meet and greet programme in Koriya district.
Baghel said, "The central government was misusing central agencies like the ED, CBI and I-T department. Has there been any such activity taken place in BJP-ruled states in the past eight years? By unleashing ED-IT, Centre is trying to control the opposition parties, and states being ruled by opposition leaders. Controlling the media and politicians is not going to benefit them."
The CM’s statement comes four days after IT sleuths carried out raids in at least 26 locations in Chhattisgarh belonging to influential businessmen working closely with the state, a state government official and their close aides.
Referring to Udaipur murder case of a tailor, Baghel alleged that the atmosphere in the country was disturbed after BJP’s Nupur Sharma’s (communal) statement and that the Centre didn’t act against her nor an FIR was lodged yet.
"Rajasthan chief minister and senior Congress leader had made an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to call for peace in the nation, when there was violence all around. But they did nothing. After putting the nation on fire, they (BJP) are taking out ‘Sneh Yatra’? The Udaipur incident should be condemned and the accused should be punished," CM said.
Earlier on Sunday, chief minister Baghel demanded that BJP should clarify its stand on its alleged links with the murder accused of Udaipur tailor who was killed in cold blood and questioned if it was a conspiracy to provoke communal violence.
While the BJP had dismissed the claims that the main accused in Kanhaiya Lal’s murder case was a member of the BJP, Baghel said that it’s all over the social media that accused has links with BJP, hence it should clarify it and investigate the matter thoroughly.
