Ahead of the Panchayats elections in Chhattisgarh state, Political investigation agencies are on overdrive, triggering political unrest in the region. Earlier this month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches for alleged ₹2,000 crore liquor scam at former minister Kawasi Lakhma’s residence and other Congress leaders. The action has raised a political debacle; Lakhma joined the ED in politically motivated action and threatened to respond in kind.
Lakhma added that the raids went on from morning up to tonight, but the officials were unable to seize any document linking him to the crimes at his residence all these days. They further accused the ED officers of deliberately exploiting his illiteracy since he has no academic qualifications to force him to sign documents whose meanings were not fully explained to him. “The officers themselves wrote and read out the documents, and I kept on signing them. And this entire operation was full of irregularities,” he stated.
While dismissing the raids as politically motivated, Kawasi Lakhma attributed the Congress party to uncovering several major issues in the state assembly. He pointed out that the BJP is using the ED in order to deal a blow to the image of political rivals ahead of the elections. It became clear that as soon as a large-scale scam was uncovered in the assembly, pressures to muzzle us started instantly. Of the two major parties, Lakhma accused the BJP of carrying out smear campaigns in the election fray.
He also blamed officials such as AP Tripathi for concealing the operation from him regarding the scam. “I really have no information or anything to do with this so-called scam. They have demanded to know more about my property, and I have told them that I would get back to them on the same and any subsequent details. The ED officials even took away my and my son’s mobile phones,” Lakhma further said.
The raids have raised controversies, with Congress leaders terming the move as reading the main story of abuses of central agencies for political vendetta. The incident points to rising political rivalry between the BJP and Congress as the two parties prepare for the polls.
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