"Congress has habit of committing corruption, misleading people": Ramdas Athawale on ED's claims against Bhupesh Baghel
Nov 04, 2023
Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], November 4 : Launching an attack on Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over an alleged Rs 508 crore deal with Mahadev betting app promoters, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said that Congress has a habit of corruption and misleading people.
The Union Minister also said that corruption has increased in Chhattisgarh during the governance of Bhupesh Baghel.
Speaking to ANI on the Mahadev betting app case, Athawale said, "This is big corruption. Congress has a habit of committing corruption, coming into power, and misleading people. Bhupesh Baghel's game will end, and he will have to go to jail. The government agencies do the inquiry only after getting evidence. So it is not good to blame the government. Corruption has increased during the tenure of Bhupesh Baghel."
This came after the Enforcement Directorate on Friday said that they have intercepted a cash courier Asim Das who was sent from UAE especially, to deliver a large amount of cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress party.
"ED on November 2 recovered Rs 5.39 crore (from arrested Asim Das). He has admitted that the seized funds were arranged by the Mahadev APP promoters to be delivered to one Politician 'Baghel' for upcoming election expenses in the state of Chhattisgarh," ED had said.
The central agency added that Das confessed that Rs 508 crore has been so far paid to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister by Mahadev APP Promoters, a charge which Baghel denies.
"From the questioning of Asim Das, many startling allegations have come forth, namely, that regular payments have been made in the past and so far around Rs 508 Crore have been paid by Mahadev APP Promoters to Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. These are subject matter of investigation," ED added.
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.