A day after the Enforcement Directorate alleged that Mahadev app promoters paid Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Union Minister Smriti Irani launched a scathng attack on him and said that The game of betting while being in power has become the face of Chhattisgarh Congress leadership.
The probe agency said on Friday that it has recorded a statement from a "cash courier" who said that the owners of the Mahadev betting app had given Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel up to this point, and that it is now a "subject matter of investigation," news agency PTI reported. It apprehended the courier, Asim Das, after recovering Rs 5.39 crore from him in the election-year state. The ED is investigating the Mahadev online betting app and its sponsors under anti-money laundering legislation.
Continuing her attack, Irani asked, "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 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.
The agency apprehended the courier, Asim Das, after recovering Rs 5.39 crore from him in the poll-bound state. Smriti Irani said that Asim Das confessed in his statement that he came to Dubai and was ordered that the money from illegal betting under the Mahadev App be given for Congress' election expenses.
"Asim Das has confessed in his statement that he came to Dubai as ordered. He was ordered that money be given for Congress' elections expenses. Asim Das has confessed that this money is from illegal betting under Mahadev App. Asim Das has confessed that Shubham Soni is a part of the top-level management of Mahadev Online Book," the BJP leader said.
On the Mahadev betting app case, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said, "This is big corruption... Congress has a habit of committing corruption, coming into power, and misleading people. Bhupesh Baghel's game will end, and he will have to go to jail... The government agencies do the inquiry only after getting evidence... So it is not good to blame the government... Corruption has increased during the tenure of Bhupesh Baghel."
Malicious Attempt To Tarnish My Image, Says Bhupesh Baghel
Reacting to ED's allegations pertaining to Mahadev app promoters, Bhupesh Baghel on Friday accussed Bharatiya Janata Party of using central agencies to win upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Taking to X, CM Bhupesh Baghel stated: "As I have said earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party wants to contest Chhattisgarh elections with the help of agencies like ED, IT, DRI and CBI. Just before the elections, ED has made the most malicious attempt to tarnish my image. This is an attempt to defame the Congress government through ED. In the name of the alleged investigation of 'Mahadev App', ED first raided the houses of people close to me to defame them and now on the basis of the statement of an unknown person, it has accused me of taking Rs 508 crore...The people of Chhattisgarh are with us to fight agencies like ED, and IT. We will fight and win."
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah together are not able to compete with Congress in Chhattisgarh, so they want to contest elections with the help of investigating agencies," he further stated.