New Delhi: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday hit back at the BJP, which accused him of receiving Rs 508 crore kickback from Mahadev app promoters. Baghel said that the BJP was scared of him and was trying to defame him through the Enforcement Directorate (ED). “Because BJP is scared of me the most. That’s why they want to defame me by accusing me (through the ED),” Baghel told reporters.


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Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who was named in the alleged betting app deal. Addressing a rally in Durg, the Prime Minister said that the Congress had always exploited the people of Chhattisgarh. The PM said the Congress had to answer what ties it had with the people in Dubai who were involved in the scam.


Retaliating To PM Modi's allegations, CM Baghel said, “They can’t fight me directly. They are using the ED and IT as their weapons to fight the elections… PM Modi is asking, what is my relation with the Dubai people? I want to ask him, what is his relation with the Dubai people? Why did he not arrest them even after issuing the lookout circular? It is his responsibility to arrest them. Why did he not shut down the Mahadev app? It is his duty to close the app. I want to ask PM, what is his deal?.. If there is no deal, then why is he not closing the app? If he is not closing the app, then there is a deal… He accused me without any investigation… ED and IT are roaming here; how did the money reach the hotel? This shows his incompetence… But when he gets the mail, that means he has connections there. And if he has connections, then why is he not arresting them…”


Congress Accuses BJP Of Misusing Agencies


Congress leader Jairam Ramesh responded to the BJP’s press briefing, saying that the party was misusing the central agencies to target the Congress governments in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. He said that the BJP was openly defending the ED early in the morning, which showed their collusion.


“When BJP comes out openly in defence of ED early in the morning, then their collusion and political misuse of agencies in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan becomes clear. The Election Commission should take cognizance of this. Trust remains intact, once again Congress government…” the Congress MP said in a post on the social media.


Smriti Irani Alleges Congress Is Using Hawala Operators


Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday slammed the Congress for using hawala money for contesting the Chhattisgarh elections. She alleged that Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh had received money from Das, who was in ED’s custody, on the orders of Shubham Soni, who was one of the top accused of the Mahadev network.


“Yesterday, shocking facts regarding Bhupesh Baghel emerged before the country. More than Rs 5.30 Crores was seized from a man called Asim Das…Is it true that Congress leaders received money from Asim Das, via Shubham Soni? Is it true that Shubham Soni was ordered by Asim Das to go to Raipur and give money to Baghel as election expenses?," Irani said.


She said that Das had admitted in his statement that he had come to Dubai as ordered. “He was ordered that money be given for Congress’ elections expenses. Asim Das has confessed that this money is from illegal betting under Mahadev App. Asim Das has confessed that Shubham Soni is a part of the top-level management of Mahadev Online Book,” she said.


She also said that the Chhattisgarh Police and Andhra Pradesh Police, who were investigating the case, were not under the control of the BJP. She asked if Baghel was doubting his own government.


ED Probes Mahadev App Betting Syndicate


The ED is investigating the Mahadev app betting syndicate, which is run by promoters based abroad. They are remotely running thousands of panels across India with the help of their friends and associates, who are mainly from Chhattisgarh. They 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.