"Bhupesh Baghel is an honest man...": Shashi Tharoor after ED's claim on Baghel-Mahadev App deal
Nov 04, 2023
Aizawl (Mizoram) [India], November 4 : Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday hit out at ED's claims against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and said that the central government have the habit of imposing allegations on Opposition leaders adding that Baghel is an honest man.
"They have the habit of imposing allegations on opposition leaders. Have you seen the conviction of anyone?.. Bhupesh Baghel is an honest man. If they have any evidence, show it in court. What investigation has been done against BJP leaders and their friends?," Tharoor told ANI.
Earlier today, speaking on the ED's claims, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo said that the state government has already banned the Mahadev betting app in the state.
"This will not have any impact (on elections) because people can see that they are using ED. Once the person changes party, everything becomes fine...As soon as details about the Mahadev app came to light, the Chhattisgarh Government banned it by bringing a Bill to the State Assembly. All such activities were banned. Had we been involved, would we have banned it?"," TS Singh Deo said.
Union Minister Smriti Irani earlier today in a press briefing alleged Congress of using "hawala operators" to fund state elections.
"Mastermind of the app Shubham Soni, in his written admission, has stated that till now over Rs500 crores have been given in bribes for political protection by the illegal Betting Racket, namely the Mahadev Online Book Promoters in Chhattisgarh. Multiple searches and recorded statements have also led to the seizure of proceeds of crime worth Rs 450 crores. Hawala operators, instructions, and money emanating from Dubai have been utilized by the Congress leadership to fund an election," Irani said while speaking at the press briefing.
This came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday (November 3) said that according to fresh evidence following a search operation on November 2, it was found that regular payments have been made in the past and so far around Rs 508 crore has been paid by Mahadev App Promoters to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
However, CM Baghel has refuted the ED's claim and said that the BJP wants to contest the upcoming Chhattisgarh polls with the help of its "agencies".
The ED is investigating the Mahadev Book Online Betting App syndicate in which the promoters of this betting syndicate are based abroad and remotely running thousands of panels across India with the help of their friends and associates who are mainly from Chhattisgarh and have earned thousands of crore of proceeds of crime.
The ED has already arrested four accused persons seized proceeds of crime worth more than Rs 450 crore and filed a prosecution complaint against 14 accused persons.
