Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated on Tuesday that the Congress will battle the ED and the CBI in the November 25 Rajasthan assembly elections rather than the BJP, which is unable to compete and is utilising central investigative agencies to "harass" other parties, news agency PTI reported. Gehlot accused the BJP of making false accusations against the Congress. The chief minister was speaking as part of the Congress' 'Guarantee Yatra' at the Adarsh Nagar assembly constituency here. In order to compete with the Congress, the BJP, according to Gehlot, is making false accusations against the party.
"It is not talking about our work and our guarantees because it has nothing to say... So instead of the BJP, our fight is against the ED, the Income Tax department and the CBI," he was quoted by PTI in its report.
"BJP's power is ED, my power is guarantees," he added.
He called the BJP's use of the ED to intimidate and harass rival parties a danger to democracy.
"Democracy is under threat in the country. The Constitution is being torn to shreds. If the Constitution does not survive, rule of law will not be there and no one will be safe," he added.
The ED raided the Jaipur and Sikar offices of Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra on October 26 as part of a money laundering investigation into an alleged exam paper leak case, and summoned Gehlot's son, Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) president Vaibhav Gehlot, in a foreign exchange violation case.
Gehlot and Congress' Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa launched the 'Guarantee Yatra' from the Moti Dungri Ganesh shrine in Jaipur. The two leaders rode on a bus, escorted by a significant number of party workers on foot.
As part of this yatra, the Congress is presenting to the people the seven 'guarantees' promised by Gehlot before of the assembly elections.
Among the 'guarantees' are laptops for government college students, English medium education for all kids, and an annual stipend of Rs 10,000 for the female head of a family.
Voting for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will take place on November 25, with results expected on December 3.