"ED working as wing of BJP": Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel hits out at central agency

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 22 (ANI): Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday morning hit out at the Enforcement Directorate (ED), labelling it as a "wing" of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Responding to remarks made by the Supreme Court regarding the ED, Baghel said that it was a "slap" for the central agency to be told to do its job.
"No remarks can be bigger than this. It is against the centre and ED. The way ED is working as a wing of the BJP...It is a slap that ED was told to do their work and let the politicians do their politics. However, the way the situation has developed nationwide, all these actions are being taken by targeting the people of the opposition," Baghel told reporters here.
He informed that ED's strike rate was not even one per cent and accused the central agency of "tarnishing the image of the opposition". He alleged that the centre used such agencies to divide political parties.
"A minister had replied in Rajya Sabha that they registered 193 cases against political leaders and could only get two convictions. This means that their strike rate is not even 1 per cent. It is being used and misused for politics. They themselves are unable to do anything, but are tarnishing the image of the opposition. Political parties have been divided by using such agencies," Baghel said.
His remarks come after the Supreme Court asked ED, "Why was it being used?"
The apex court dismissed appeals made by the ED seeking an investigation against his wife, BM Parvathi, in connection with alleged irregularities regarding illegal land allotments by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Earlier, Baghel slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the arrest of his son by the ED in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.
"PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah cannot tolerate anything against Adani. The day the ED arrested my son, we were protesting in the Vidhan Sabha on the issue of illegal cutting of trees by (Gautam) Adani," he told reporters.
On July 18, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Chaitanya Baghel, the son of Bhupesh Baghel. The move comes after the agency seized Rs 30 lakh from the residence of Bhupesh Baghel and his son Chaitanya in March this year.
The amount was recovered during a day-long search operation conducted at a total of 14 locations across Chhattisgarh in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the liquor trade in Chhattisgarh, involving suspected illegal commissions and money laundering.
ED has gathered that Chaitanya Baghel is also "recipient of proceeds of crime generated from the liquor scam, wherein total proceeds of crime is around Rs 2,161 crore siphoned off through various schemes." (ANI)