RAIPUR: After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached the Congress Bhawan in Sukma last Friday, the opposition in Chhattisgarh made public on what expenditures were done and how in the construction of the party’s office ‘Rajiv Bhawan’ in the district.
The Congress expressed its annoyance and cited the ED's move as part of the BJP’s political conspiracy as the opposition claimed that the central agency has already been provided with the information demanded on Sukma party office in writing.
“Despite that the ED has maliciously attached the Sukma district office of Congress. The entire expenses on its construction has been borne by the state Congress party, every rupee spent has been accounted for, the payment done through cheques and got audited”, claimed Sushil Anand Shukla, Congress media cell chairman.
The total cost of construction of the district Congress Bhawan is Rs 65.84 lakh, he stated.
The ED has provisionally attached the Congress party office building besides the properties owned by Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma and his son Harish in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.
The agency estimated that 'Proceeds of Crime of around Rs 2,161 crore have been generated by the suspects in the liquor scam.'
The ED cited that they are “being attached as direct proceeds of crime.” The federal probe agency suspects the proceeds from the liquor scam were used to construct the Rajiv Bhawan in Sukma, built during the tenure of Lakhma as excise minister.
A six-time Congress MLA Lakhma, who was a former excise minister, was arrested early this year and has been in jail since January 16.
The Congress asked "if the ED has the courage to probe into the Rs 150 crore BJP’s state office Kushabhau Thakre in Raipur to find out how such a huge amount was arranged by the ruling party to have an opulent building equivalent to a 5-star hotel?"
The BJP countered saying that the law will take its own course. The ED has been pursuing the cases of various scams that happened during the previous Congress regime after evidence gathered during searches and ongoing investigations, the ruling party stated.
“The BJP office in Raipur came into existence with the contribution and efforts of the party workers after a campaign was run for it”, said Kedar Gupta, BJP state spokesperson.