'Has central govt accepted election fund for not banning Mahadev betting app?' asks Chhattisgarh CM Baghel

By Sandeep Pradhan
Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 21 (ANI): Lashing out at the government at the centre over the issue of the Mahadev betting application, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel questioned whether the government at the centre had accepted election funds for not banning the betting application.
Speaking exclusively with ANI in Raipur on Friday, the CM said, "The central government has the authority to put a ban on the betting app, not the state government. My allegation is that if you (referring to the BJP-led government at the centre) are not imposing a ban on the application, so have you accepted the fund for elections."
Are they trying to blackmail someone by not taking action against the app, asked the CM.
The CM said this when asked to comment on the allegations levelled by the BJP regarding the Mahadev betting application.
It may be recalled that the BJP's election media in charge and MLA from Uttar Pradesh, Siddhartha Nath Singh, recently alleged that the Chhattisgarh government is not banning the betting application as Congress is receiving massive amounts from Dubai.
The BJP leader also alleged that the Congress is receiving money from Dubai and then becoming an ATM for Delhi (referring to Congress's central leadership).
"The state government has the authority to prohibit this application. As Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and other states have imposed a ban on such betting applications, you (referring to the Chhattisgarh government) too can do this. You have not done it because the amount is very huge, whether it belongs to Dawood or someone else," he said.
He further claimed that the entire money goes to Dubai and then is re-routed further. "The money is coming through Dawood's younger brother and Chandrakar, a native of Bhilai. They are concerned about money no matter what the source is, and Congress High Command hardly bothers about the source of money from Chhattisgarh as they consider the state as an ATM," he alleged.
Making a scathing attack on the allegation of the BJP regarding the Mahadev betting case, Baghel dubbed it funny and further said that hardly any state might have taken action in this connection, but the Chhattisgarh government has taken the action and 450 people have been arrested so far.
"We advocated issuing a lookout circular and issued directives for the arrest of operators of Mahadev applications who are currently in foreign countries. The central government has the authority to put a ban on the app, not the state government. My allegation is that if you (referring to the BJP-led government at the centre) are not imposing a ban on the application, have you accepted the fund for elections?" said Bahel.
He further asked why they are not taking action in this connection and why this Mahadev app is operational in India. "Why are the accused persons yet to be arrested, whereas he was cutting cake with people belonging to you? We have taken action, but why are you not taking action against them, and what relationship do you have with them?" he questioned the BJP.
He also attacked the government at the centre for imposing GST on the betting application and accused the government at the centre of defaming the state government.
Notably, the Mahadev Online Book Betting app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new users, create user IDs, and launder money through a layered web of Benami bank accounts. (ANI)