Congress lashes out at Narendra Modi government for targeting Ashok Gehlot's brother

Congress on Wednesday lashed out at the Modi government after the Enforcement Directorate carried out raids on the premises of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s brother in Rajasthan.

Congress alleged that the Centre was trying out all tricks at its disposal by ordering raids by Income Tax authorities, CBI and ED on persons close to Gehlot as part of plans to topple his government in Rajasthan.

Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said that when the BJP’s plans to topple the Gehlot government did not succeed, the Modi government unleashed central investigative agencies on party sympathisers.

Surjewala said the Income Tax officials had carried out raids on three business groups and individuals associated with the Congress.

“Those raids targeted Rajiv Arora of Amrapali Jewels, who is also the Vice President of Rajasthan Congress, Dharmendra Rathore and Ratan Kant Sharma who owns the Fairmont hotel on the outskirts of Jaipur,” he said.

Congress MLAs have been staying at Fairmont Hotel since July 12, when Sachin Pilot and his supporters refused to recognise the leadership of Gehlot and kept away from party meetings.

Congress has since stripped Pilot of the posts of the Deputy Chief Minister and Rajasthan Congress President, while two of his supporters have been suspended from the party.

“On July 20 and July 21, the CBI questioned MLA Krishna Poonia who brought laurels to the country in the Olympics. Why when BJP is conspiring to topple the government, CBI quizzed Poonia? Yesterday chief minister’s OSD Devaram Saini was also quizzed,” Surjewala said.

On Wednesday, Enforcement Directorate officials carried out searches on premises of Agrasen Gehlot as part of countrywide raids in connection with a money-laundering case linked to a fertiliser scam.