"Congress misleads people during elections": Union Minister Pralhad Patel on ED raids in Rajasthan
Oct 28, 2023
Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh) [India], October 28 : Reacting to the ED raids at the residence of Rajasthan Congress Chief, Govind Singh Dotasara and subsequent criticism by senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, Union Minister Pralhad Singh Patel said that Congress was trying to mislead the people during the elections.
Pralhad Singh Patel said, "Congress has always misled people during the elections. If anyone does anything wrong, the government and the agencies will take action against them. Congress should not expect that since elections are ahead, ED should stop functioning."
Patel slammed senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh and said that such raids have happened in other parts of the country also in the past.
Digvijay Singh earlier said that raids were being conducted to cripple the prospects of the Congress in the upcoming state assembly elections.
On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the properties of Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra and the party's candidate for the Mahua Assembly seat as part of a money laundering inquiry into an alleged examination paper leak case in the poll-bound state.
The premises of Dotasara, a former Minister for School Education, in Sikar and Jaipur, apart from party candidate from Mahua seat in Dausa, Omprakash Hudla, and some others were searched.
The ED raids were criticised by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who accused the BJP at the centre of attempting to divert attention from the real issues facing the state.
Former Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot said the intent of the central agencies were questionable.
"We have elections in Rajasthan in a few days. The Model Code of Conduct is in place here... The timing, objective and the intent of the raids conducted by the central government agencies in Jaipur and other cities today is questionable and suspicious," Pilot said in a press conference on Thursday.
"The way the BJP is specifically targeting Congress leaders without any factual evidence after realising that they will be losing defeat in the upcoming election is condemnable," he added.
The Rajasthan assembly polls are to be held on November 25 and the counting of votes will be done of December 3.
