BJP using ED, CBI as its 'frontal organisation': Congress leader Pramod Tiwari

New Delhi [India], November 4 (ANI): Congress leader Pramod Tiwari on Saturday said that the BJP at the Centre is using central agencies - ED, IT and CBI as its 'frontal organisation' and that the Enforcement Directorate's claims against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is a 'drama'.
The Congres MP was responding to the Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s allegations that Baghel may have taken Rs 508 crore from the Mahadev betting app promoters.
Speaking to ANI, Tiwari said that the accusations were levelled against Baghel as the Bharatiya Janata Party understood that it has lost people's support in the poll-bound state, where elections are scheduled later this month.
"There was a discussion that BJP is going to play some games. Because it has no support base left in Chhattisgarh," the Congress leader said, adding that the Congress government led by CM Baghel will retain power.
Earlier on Friday, the ED said that according to fresh evidence following a search operation on November 2, it was found that regular payments have been made in the past and so far around Rs 508 crore has been paid by Mahadev App Promoters to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
The ED is investigating the Mahadev Book Online Betting App syndicate in which the promoters of this betting syndicate are based abroad and remotely running thousands of panels across India with the help of their friends and associates who are mainly from Chhattisgarh and have earned thousands of crore of proceeds of crime.
The ED has already arrested four accused persons seized proceeds of crime worth more than Rs 450 crore and filed a prosecution complaint against 14 accused persons.
Reacting to it, Tiwari said, "This is one of the most cruel and well-planned conspiracies in Indian politics. Today is the last day of election campaigning in Chhattisgarh. (And) yesterday Rs 5 crore was recovered from a man who has no connection with Chhattisgarh. And he gives a statement in ED's custody. What is the importance of the statement?"
He said that to avert their defeat in Chhattisgarh elections, the BJP is staging a drama. "They (BJP) are using ED, CBI and IT as its frontal organization," he added.
The elections for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases, with the first phase of polling for 20 seats scheduled on November 7 and the remaining 70 seats to go for polling on November 17.
The counting of votes will be done on December 3.
Congress stormed to power in Chhattisgarh in the 2018 elections, winning 68 out of 90 seats. The party had a vote share of 43.9 per cent. BJP won 15 seats and had a vote share of 33.6 per cent. (ANI)