Bitcoin scam: Priyank Kharge slams Enforcement Directorate, says ‘big names’ should have been raided

Bengaluru: Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge slammed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for raiding Congress lawmaker N A Haris’ sons in connection with the Bitcoin scam. 

“If this (raid) is related to the Bitcoin scam, then big names should have been raided,” Priyank told reporters.

“The then home minister and those in power...the previous BJP government said nothing happened. But we know what happened,” he said. 

Priyank admitted that hacker Srikrishna alias Sriki was friends with Haris’ son, Mohammed Haris Nalapad. “But Nalapad has said that he has nothing to do with this (Bitcoin). Let’s see what the ED says in its charge sheet,” the minister said.  

Priyank also pointed out that tracing Bitcoin is difficult. “Anonymity is the core of the entire concept of cryptocurrency,” he said. “Even the union government hasn’t taken a stand on whether or not cryptocurrency is legal.”  The minister further charged that federal agencies like the ED, IT and CBI were “puppets” of the union government. “Is this the first raid? There have been thousands of raids. But the conviction rate is less than 2%. It’s nothing but a political tool,” he said. “Why were they quiet all this time?”