The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP government at the Centre of using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to target the ruling party leaders in Rajasthan after failing in its conspiracy to “kidnap democracy” and topple the State government. The Centre was creating a “raid raj”, but the party would not be scared by it, said the Congress.
The accusation came after the ED raided the premises of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s elder brother Agrasen Gehlot in Jodhpur in connection with an alleged scam in the illegal export of a subsidised fertilizer component meant for sale to farmers. The party said the raids were being conducted to intimidate and threaten its MLAs.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, camping here to deal with the ongoing political turmoil, said at a press conference that Mr. Agrasen Gehlot had been targeted just because he was the Chief Minister’s brother. “The ED is conducting raids under the security of the CRPF and the BSF. But the CM’s brother has nothing to do with politics,” he said.
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“The BJP has become mentally bankrupt. After the first round of raids by income tax officials on July 13, the CBI questioned this week MLA Krishna Poonia, who brought laurels for the country in the Olympics, and Chief Minister’s officer on special duty, Devaram Saini,” Mr. Surjewala said.
The case in which the ED conducted the raids on Wednesday pertains to the alleged illegal export of potassium chloride, known as Muriate of Potash (MoP), to Malaysia and Taiwan from 2007 to 2009. According to the ED, Jodhpur-based Anupam Krishi owned by Mr. Agrasen Gehlot was one of the three parties involved in the export, making financial gains worth ₹150 crore.
Mr. Surjewala said the “emperors sitting in Delhi” had become so arrogant that they believed they could crush any government at any point of time. “The raids in Rajasthan started when the BJP’s tactics failed and the people and MLAs here did not fall prey to their conspiracy. Neither the CM nor any Congress legislator will be afraid of the threats of the Central agencies,” he said.
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Chief Minister Mr. Gehlot has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi drawing his attention to the attempts being made by the ruling dispensation at the Centre to destabilise democratically elected governments in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I do not know if all this is in your knowledge or you are being misled. History will never forgive those involved in such acts,” Mr. Gehlot said.
Stage protest
A large number of Congress workers, led by Jaipur District Congress Committee general secretary Manoj Mudgal, staged a protest and burnt an effigy of Mr. Modi at the Collectorate Circle here on Wednesday. Mr. Mudgal said the continuing raids by the Central agencies depicted the BJP’s frustration over the failure of its horse-trading attempts.
Meanwhile, Speaker C.P. Joshi, who has moved the Supreme Court in the defection notices case, expressed the hope that the apex court would pass directions before July 24, when the High Court is scheduled to give its verdict on the writ petition filed by the Sachin Pilot camp. “Or else, my special leave petition will be rendered infructuous and the Speaker’s powers will be curtailed,” he said.
“I do hope that the dignity of the Speaker’s office will be maintained. I respect the judges, but the roles of all constitutional authorities are well-defined,” Mr. Joshi said. While accusing some legislators of trying to circumvent the judiciary, the Speaker pointed out that he had deferred the deadline for action on the notices twice before as per the High Court’s request.