The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party got involved in a war of words over the claims made by the Enforcement Directorate that Mahadev app promoters paid Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. On Saturday, Congress slammed the BJP-led Central government over the claims against Baghel and said that this is a clear-cut conspiracy headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tarnish the image of Bhupesh Baghel and the Congress government for winning the upcoming assembly elections in Chhattisgarh.
Speaking at a press conference, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal lashed out at the Centre and asked what stopped it from taking action against the Mahadev app. He further stated that the saffron party is in a panic situation and the people of Chhattisgarh will give a befitting reply to this "malicious campaign by using ED".
"They know that this election is going to be one-sided... This is a clear-cut conspiracy headed by the PM of India to tarnish the image of Bhupesh Baghel and the Congress government for winning these elections... Agencies are at the doorstep of every Congress leader... We have a simple question for the central government: what stopped you from taking action against the Mahadev app? Basically, it is operating from Dubai or so. It is clearly in your domain. Why are you not taking action against this app?... The people of Chhattisgarh will give a befitting reply to this malicious campaign by using ED... They are in a panic situation..."
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said that the Centre’s partnership with the ED is on the rise because they can sense the defeat in the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. Speaking at the press conference, Singhvi said, "The BJP is heading towards a big defeat (in the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections), and the whole world knows about it. Their (BJP-led central government) partnership with the ED is on the rise because they can also sense the defeat".
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Smriti Irani launched a scathng attack on Baghel and said that the game of betting while being in power has become the face of Chhattisgarh Congress leadership.
"The game of betting while being in power has become the face of Chhattisgarh Congress leadership. Yesterday, shocking facts regarding Bhupesh Baghel emerged before the country. More than Rs 5.30 Crores was seized from a man called Asim Das...Is it true that Congress leaders received money from Shubham Soni via Asim Das? Is it true that Asim Das was ordered by Shubham Soni to go to Raipur and give money to Baghel as election expenses?," the BJP leader said.
Chhattisgarh will vote in two stages on November 7 and 17, with results expected on December 3. The first round of voting for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh will take place on November 7, with the remaining 70 seats in the state voting on November 17. The Model Code of Conduct has already been introduced in Chhattisgarh.