New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple locations, including the premises of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s brother, in Jodhpur in connection with a fresh case involving the alleged fertiliser scam, said an official. Earlier in the day, the CBI team arrived at the premises of the Chief Minister’s brother Agrasen Gehlot – a fertiliser trader – in Jodhpur for the searches, news agency ANI reported. The Chief Minister’s brother has been accused of exporting a large amount of Muriate of Potash (MoP) to foreign nations that were meant for the Indian farmers at a subsidised rate between the years 2007 and 2009 when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was in power.
“Agrasen Gehlot, during the period from 2007 to 2009, conspired and exported large quantities of Murate of Potash (MoP) abroad, at a subsidized rate to Indian farmers,” the news agency quoted sources as saying.
The officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier in 2020 conducted raids at Agrasen Gehlot’s residence in Jodhpur and other places in Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government on the issue and called it “vendetta politics”.
“This is vendetta politics beyond all bounds. @ashokgehlot51 was at the forefront of the protests in Delhi over the past three days, and this is Modi Govt’s brazen response! We will not be silenced!” he tweeted.
This comes amid the nationwide protests by the Congress over the Enforcement Directorate probe on Rahul Gandhi.