JAIPUR: Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at 19 locations linked to former state minister and senior Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.
The searches were reportedly carried out in connection with the Rs 48,000 crore Pearl Agrotech Corporation Limited (PACL) scam, a massive real estate investment fraud.
As news of the ED action spread, hundreds of Khachariyawas’s supporters gathered outside his residence in Jaipur, raising slogans in his support. Senior Congress leaders, including Raghu Sharma, Pushpendra Bhardwaj, Sachin Pilot, and others, also reached his home in a show of solidarity.
Reacting sharply, PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasara, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, and other Congress leaders condemned the raids, accusing the BJP-led central government of misusing investigative agencies to target opposition leaders. They termed the ED’s action as politically motivated and an example of vindictive politics.
Taking to social media, Congress state president Dotasara wrote on 'X' that Khachariyawas was being targeted because he questioned the Bhajan Lal government over the Rs 100 crore originally allocated for the Govind Dev Ji temple corridor, which was allegedly diverted for hosting the IIFA Awards in Jaipur.
“As the son of Jaipur Khachariyawas raised his voice about public funds, this vengeful action was taken against him. I strongly condemn it,” Dotasara said.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also condemned the raids, recalling that in August 2020, the ED interrogated Khachariyawas for 7–8 hours during the BJP’s alleged bid to topple the Congress government. “Because he was vocal against the BJP, ED is back again."
Responding to the raids, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas maintained that neither he nor his family had any connection to the PACL case. “The ED showed me a warrant and conducted searches. Only they can tell in which case this action was taken,” he told reporters.
Taking a dig at the BJP’s governance, Khachariyawas said, “Gravel scam, IIFA scam, mining scam — those are theirs. The court will punish the guilty, but I am neither afraid nor will I ever be. To hell with it, even 400 times. I know how to respond to everyone.”
He accused the BJP of acting out of political vendetta and warned that when the Congress government returns to power under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, BJP leaders would also face similar scrutiny.
Pratap Singh Khachariyawas is the nephew of the late former Chief Minister and BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Once a BJP member, he switched to the Congress and has since emerged as one of the most vocal and prominent leaders of the Grand Old Party in Jaipur.