RAIPUR: A day after Chaitanya Baghel was arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel questioned the timing of the ED raid at his Bhilai residence.
He alleged that the central agency’s actions were an attempt to “divert attention from illegal tree felling” in Raigarh for a coal mine project.
Talking to the media persons at Rajiv Bhawan on Saturday, Baghel said that the Leader of Opposition was to bring an adjournment motion against illegal tree felling in the House and to prevent it the ED raid was carried out at his house at 6 AM.
Speaking to the media at Rajiv Bhawan on Saturday, Baghel said the Leader of Opposition was set to move an adjournment motion in the Assembly over illegal tree felling.
He claimed, the ED conducted a raid at his residence at 6 AM to prevent this.
He alleged that thousands of trees were illegally cut in Raigarh’s Tamnar tehsil where villagers were held hostage.
The Congress general secretary further added that the ED had earlier carried out a similar raid on March 10 and from then till his son got arrested on Friday, neither was any notice served nor any inquiry conducted.
“I couldn't reach the House on March 10 then but this time I was successful in arriving at the Assembly. During the proceeding of the House we got information that ED had arrested my son”, said Baghel.
Baghel had earlier this month extended his support to villagers at Tamnar tehsil (Raigarh district) where trees were cut for a coal mine project allotted to Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited and Adani Group will be mine developer-cum-operator there.
The Chhattisgarh Congress took a decision on Saturday to stage an economic blockade across the state on July 22 in protest against the “misuse of Central agencies” against opposition leaders and to safeguard the natural resources of the state.
