ED raids in Chhattisgarh: Youth Cong, NSUI workers hold protests at several places

Youth Congress and NSUI workers on Monday staged a demonstration in front of the office of Enforcement Directorate in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur to protest against the raids conducted by the central agency at the premises of several Congress leaders in the state.

The ED conducted searches at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including at premises linked to Congress leaders, as part of an ongoing investigation into the coal levy money laundering case, officials said.

The raids come ahead of the three-day plenary session of the Congress from February 24 in Raipur.

The Youth Congress and National Student Union of India (NSUI) functionaries protested in front of the ED's office building in Pachpedi Naka area and raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre.

Police personnel deployed outside the office had to use mild force to disperse the protestors, with some videos showing a minor scuffle between protestors and security personnel.

NSUI's Raipur district unit chief Shantanu Jha said the ED is raiding Congress MLAs and leaders here rather than taking action against billionaire businessman Gautam Adani, whose firms have been accused by an US investment research firm of stock manipulation and accounting fraud.

As per officials, Ed searches are underway since early morning at over a dozen locations related to Congress MLAs Devendra Yadav in Bhilai (Durg district) and Chandradev Prasad Rai in Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district, as well Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal, chairman of Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Girish Dewangan, chairman of Chhattisgarh State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Sushil Sunny Agrawal, the party's state spokesperson RP Singh in Raipur.

The raids also covered premises of some other ruling party leaders, including Vinod Tiwari in Raipur.

A group of Congressmen also staged a protest against the ED outside the residence of Agrawal, while the raid was underway. Similarly, supporters of MLA Yadav staged a protest against the Central agency's action in Bhilai. They also performed a 'havan' (fire based ritual).

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel called the raids politically motivated and claimed the BJP was afraid of the Congress and so was misusing Central agencies to crush the voice of political opponents.

Reacting to Baghel, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Raman Singh said, "The Congress government has been mired in corruption for the last 4 years. Even a child knows Rs 25 per tonne is being extorted in coal transportation. After its investigation, the ED has been taking action against corrupt officials and leaders. The action has nothing to do with the BJP or Congress party." As per officials, the raids are part of an ED probe into a "a massive scam in which an illegal levy of Rs 25 was being extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen".

Nine persons have been arrested in the case so far.