BHAILAI, July 18 —Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Friday accused the BJP-led Centre of using investigative agencies as tools of political intimidation, hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested his son in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged liquor scam.
Chaitanya Baghel, the former CM’s son, was taken into custody from their shared residence in Bhilai under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The arrest followed a fresh round of raids at the property.
“To please their master, PM Modi and Amit Shah have sent the ED to my house,” Baghel told reporters outside his residence. “We won’t be scared or bow down. Bhupesh Baghel won’t be afraid. We will fight the battle of truth.”
The arrest, notably, came on Chaitanya’s birthday — a detail Baghel used to underline what he described as a pattern of deliberate humiliation. “Nobody in any democracy gives birthday gifts like this,” he said. “On my birthday, they sent the ED to raid my advisor and two OSDs. Now, on my son’s birthday, the ED has come for him. Thanks for these gifts — I will remember them for life.”
Chaitanya was later produced before a special court in Raipur. Baghel and Congress Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant reached the court after walking out of the state Assembly in protest, alleging continued harassment of opposition leaders by central agencies.
“The ED had come earlier and found ₹33 lakh at my home. They’re here again. What does it mean? Whether they trust us or not, we believe in democracy and the judiciary. We will cooperate,” Baghel said.
He went on to accuse the BJP of weaponising not just the ED, but also other central bodies to muzzle dissent. “In Bihar, voters are being deleted from rolls with help from the Election Commission. And here, the BJP is misusing ED, IT, CBI and DRI to suppress opposition leaders,” he said. “But the people of this country are no longer in the dark. They understand what’s happening.”
Outside the Raipur court, Baghel linked the ED’s action to broader political and environmental issues. “You all know Adani wanted to mine and destroy forests. The Congress has been opposing this, and that’s why this action is being taken,” he said while speaking to PTI Videos.
The arrest has once again sharpened the opposition’s charge that investigative agencies are being deployed selectively to target political adversaries ahead of key electoral battles.
