'This Is Just A Stunt': BJP Says Election Commission Can't Stop ED Actions After Congress Protests Raids

BJP leader RP Singh further asserted that the central agencies will not stop taking action due to the elections.

BJP leader RP Singh

Source : Facebook / RP Singh

New Delhi: A day after Congress approached the Election Commission over ED actions during polls, the BJP on Thursday said that the poll watchdog does not have the mandate to stop actions against corruption.

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader RP Singh further asserted that the central agencies will not stop taking action due to the elections.

VIDEO | "Assembly Elections are at their own place while ED action (in corruption cases) is in its own place. ED will not stop taking action against corruption due to the elections. Election Commission does not have the mandate to stop ED from doing so," says BJP leader… pic.twitter.com/dK15tgKj4v

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 9, 2023

"Assembly Elections are at their own place while ED action (in corruption cases) is in its own place. ED will not stop taking action against corruption due to the elections. Election Commission does not have the mandate to stop ED from doing so," he said.

On Wednesday, the Congress sought the Election Commission's immediate intervention to stop the alleged misuse of the ED during assembly elections, alleging that the probe agency was acting at the behest of the central government to disrupt the level-playing field. 

"We were dejected that we were not given time (to petition the EC) before the November 7 polling," Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi had told the reporters after the meeting.

"The EC heard us, and we explained the alleged misuse of the ED in acting as the BJP's Election wing and disrupting the level-playing field during assembly elections in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan," he had added.

Singhvi had stated that in the last 18 months, the Chhattisgarh Police have made nearly 500 arrests and seized laptops and money in connection with the Mahadev app issue, and the Congress has demanded the arrest of some people behind this betting platform as well as a ban on it.

However, as the Chhattisgarh assembly elections approached, the ED allegedly began conducting raids.

Tariq Anwar and Udit Raj, both members of the Congress delegation, were also present.

The ED claimed last week that forensic analysis and a statement made by a "cash courier" had led to "startling allegations" that Mahadev betting app promoters had paid about Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel so far, and that "these are the subject of investigation."