A day after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel’s name cropped up in the ‘Mahadev’ betting app scam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the Congress, saying the opposition party had not spared any chance to loot people.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed on Friday that one of the ‘couriers’ arrested with Rs 5 crore had disclosed that he was supposed to give the money to a politician named 'Baghel'. He also alleged that the Mahadev betting app promoters had paid about Rs 508 crore to the Chhattisgarh chief minister so far.
“Just two days ago, a huge pile of cash was recovered in Raipur. People are saying that this money belongs to 'sattebaj' (those involved in betting) and they have collected it by looting the poor and youth of Chhattisgarh. Congress leaders have been filling their houses with the same money," Modi said, addressing a public meeting in Durg city.
The Congress government and the chief minister should tell the people of Chhattisgarh what link they have with the accused in this scam sitting in Dubai, the prime minister said.
The central agency on Friday claimed that the ‘cash courier’, identified as 38-year-old Asim Das, was allegedly sent by the Mahadev app promoters from the UAE "especially, to deliver large amount of cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress party".
"From the questioning of Das and from forensic examination of the phone recovered from him apart from examination of an email sent by Shubam Soni (one of the high ranking accused of Mahadev network) 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," it said.
While Bhagel dismissed the allegations and accused the ED of making a "malicious attempt" to tarnish his image ahead of the assembly polls, the BJP has demanded his resignation over the issue.
Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17.