Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel alleged that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had links to the Mahadev betting app. To cite his claim, CM Baghel said that the Central government had not banned the Mahadev betting app yet, and alleged that no crackdown had happened on the betting app.
The Mahadev Betting app case which came to limelight with the ₹200 crore wedding of Sourabh Chandrakar, had now involved the incumbent Chhattisgarh Chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed that the promoters of the illegal Mahadev betting app had paid CM Baghel ₹508 crore. The probe agency also added that the claim is under investigation.
The Congress and CM Baghel has been flagging the timing of the ED raids, which the probe agency claim has been on the basis of intelligence input. The Congress has said that the BJP is trying to win the Assembly elections with the “help of ED, and CBI”.
The Chief Minister of the poll-bound state is facing heat from the BJP after the Enforcement Directorate claimed that he was allegedly paid ₹508 crore by Mahadev app promoters.
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ED on Friday claimed that they have intercepted a cash courier Asim Das, who was sent from UAE, to deliver a large amount of cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress party in Chhattisgarh.
Taking note of this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a rally in Durg district said the Congress needs to answer as to what links it has with people in Dubai who were accused in the scam.
Responding to it, CM Bhupesh Baghel cross-questioned the Prime Minister’s links with the betting app and why the app has not been banned by the Central government till now.
“PM Modi is asking, what’s the relation with the Dubai people? I want to ask him, what’s your relationship with the Dubai people? Why did the arrest not happen even after the release of the lookout circular? It’s the duty of the Indian government to make this arrest. Why was the Mahadev app not closed? It’s the Indian government’s duty to shut down the app. I want to ask PM, what’s your deal?… If the deal has not happened, then why are you not closing the app? If you are not closing the app, then the deal has happened,” Baghel told reporters here.
“Because BJP is scared of me the most. That’s why they want to defame me by accusing me (through the ED),” he said.
The elections for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases, with the first phase of polling for 20 seats scheduled on November 7 and the remaining 70 seats to go for polling on November 17.
The counting of votes will be done on December 3.
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Updated: 04 Nov 2023, 05:49 PM IST