By way of PTI
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress chief and Chief of Opposition within the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge got here out in toughen of Punjab Leader Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday over the ED raids in opposition to his relations and mentioned this “vendetta” will lend a hand the celebration emerge victorious within the upcoming state Meeting polls.
“ED raids at the relations of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi display how unnerved the BJP is ready a appearing and fashionable Dalit CM,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Other folks of Punjab are ready to show BJP and their B-teams a befitting lesson. Such vendetta will handiest result in a landslide victory for Congress in Punjab,” Kharge mentioned.
Previous, former Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mentioned ED raids had turn out to be the BJP’s favorite weapon because it had issues to cover.
“Carrying out an ED raid is BJP’s favorite weapon as a result of they themselves have issues to cover. Now not everyone seems to be such as you. We’ve got #NoFear.#BJPFakeRaid,” he had mentioned in a tweet on Tuesday.
The Congress had dubbed the raids as “pretend raids” to intimidate the celebration within the run-up to the February 20 Punjab polls, however had asserted that neither the celebration nor Channi can be cowed down by way of such strikes.
It had additionally alleged that the ED raids have been an attack on Punjab and Punjabiyat, whilst claiming that Channi’s relations had not anything to do with the accused within the case.
The ED on Wednesday mentioned it has seized money amounting to over Rs 10 crore, together with about Rs 8 crore from a relative of Channi, all over raids performed in reference to an anti-money laundering investigation in opposition to unlawful sand-mining operations in poll-bound Punjab.
In a commentary, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) mentioned “incriminating” paperwork associated with “unlawful” sand mining and belongings transactions, cell phones, gold price greater than Rs 21 lakh and a Rolex watch price Rs 12 lakh have been additionally seized all over the searches that ended on Wednesday.
Opposition events on Wednesday centered the Congress executive in Punjab over the ED raids and demanded Leader Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s resignation following the seizure of money from the premises connected to a relative of the CM.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids have been performed in reference to an anti-money laundering investigation in opposition to unlawful sand-mining operations within the poll-bound state.
Money amounting to over Rs 10 crore, together with about Rs 8 crore from a relative of Channi, used to be seized by way of the ED all over the raids.
BJP nationwide normal secretary Tarun Chugh demanded Channi’s resignation “for patronising his members of the family in clandestine sand-mining within the state”.
In a commentary, Chugh alleged, “The ED raids have established that the Congress has been operating sand mafias within the state underneath the nostril of the executive minister”.
Chugh debunked the executive minister’s argument that it used to be Centre’s retaliation in opposition to the safety breach in Ferozepur all over Top Minister Narendra Modi’s contemporary seek advice from, pronouncing the case used to be registered in 2018 after due inquiry when the Congress used to be in energy within the state.
“The ED has handiest finished an investigation in a long-standing case,” mentioned Chugh.
The restoration of large sums of cash from the premises connected to the executive minister’s nephew proves his involvement within the unlawful sand-mining, he added.
“The manager minister will have to personal the ethical accountability of the case and surrender from his publish,” Chugh demanded.
Talking to the media in Amritsar, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal mentioned, “Recoveries of crores of rupees in money made by way of the ED from the home of leader minister Channi’s nephew has vindicated our accusation that Channi is a part of the the most important sand-mining mafia within the state”.
Now, Channi has no proper to stick on as the executive minister and will have to in an instant surrender from the publish.
Aam Aadmi Celebration chief and celebration’s co-in-charge of Punjab Raghav Chadha too accused Channi of being excited by unlawful sand-mining.
Chadha mentioned he had ultimate month “uncovered” how unlawful sand-mining used to be happening in Channi’s Meeting constituency Chamkaur Sahib, however the leader minister did not anything.
Channi has refuted the claims made by way of the AAP chief.
Focused on the typical guy symbol which Channi has attempted to domesticate following his elevation as the executive minister ultimate yr, Chadha mentioned, “Leader Minister Channi and his relations have earned crores of rupees from their affiliation with sand mafia. He (Channi) pretends to be a commonplace guy however will have to resolution the place did his relations were given such a lot cash from?”.
“If this sort of large quantity is located from Channi’s nephew’s space, it’s tough to bet what number of crores would had been seized if the raid used to be performed on the leader minister’s space” Chadha mentioned.
“What number of of his (Channi) relations has he made millionaires?” he mentioned.
In the meantime, Channi has dubbed the raids on the homes and places of work of his nephew to probe cash laundering allegations connected to the 2018 unlawful sand-mining case as “vendetta politics”.
He mentioned his nephew used to be no longer even booked within the three-year-old case.
The Congress chief has accused the BJP-led central executive of hatching a conspiracy to entice him within the case wherein raids have been performed by way of the ED at many puts in Punjab.