On a day the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at the premises of Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra in connection with the alleged exam paper leak case, the agency also issued summons to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violation case. The developments come a month ahead of Rajasthan polls on November 25.
Vaibhav Gehlot, AICC member and president of Rajasthan Cricket Association, has been called for questioning on October 27 (Friday) in Jaipur, PTI reported.
In a stinging attack on BJP, Gehlot said the ED raid on Rajasthan Congress chief and summons to his son came a day after Congress promised to give the woman head of a family Rs 10,000 annually if the party was re-elected to power.
"Now, you can understand what I have been saying that ED is conducting daily raids in Rajasthan because BJP does not want women, farmers and poor get the benefits of the guarantees given by Congress," Gehlot said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
READ | Rajasthan Congress Chief's Home Raided By ED In Paper Leak Case Ahead Of Polls
The summon to Vaibhav Gehlot is linked to the ED probe on Rajasthan-based hospitality group Triton Hotels and Resorts, Vardha Enterprises and its directors and promoters Shiv Shankar Sharma, Rattan Kant Sharma and others. The federal agency had conducted searches at the premises of the group and its promoters in August in Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai and Delhi and seized unaccounted cash of Rs 1.2 crore, PTI reported.
The ED is looking at Rattan Kant Sharma's alleged links with Vaibhav Gehlot. The agency will question and record Gehlot's statement under the Foreign Exchange Management Act.
ED Raids 12 Locations In Connection With Exam Paper Leak Case
Earlier in the day, the ED raided the premises of Dotasra, former school education minister, and Omprakash Hudla, party candidate from Mahua seat in Dausa, as part of its money laundering probe into the alleged exam paper leak case. Dotasra is the party candidate from Lacchmangarh seat of Sikar. The ED also conducted search operations at nearly a dozen locations in Rajasthan in connection with the case.
Speaking on the ED action, Rajasthan Minister Pratap Khachariyawas told ANI, "This is nothing new, such actions happen when there are elections...We have committed no sin, in fact, we put behind bars those responsible for the paper leak....There should be no revenge in politics. Have we ever taken politically motivated action against any BJP leader in Rajasthan? BJP should stay away from doing such things."
Rajasthan CM Gehlot has repeatedly expressed concern over over the misuse of central agencies in the state ahead of elections. Last week, the senior Congress leader said that the CBI, ED and IT were targeting party leaders in Rajasthan.