Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Friday sarcastically thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted fresh raids at his residence and that of his son Chaitanya Baghel, calling it a “birthday gift.”
In a post on social media platform X, Baghel wrote: “The kind of birthday gift that Modi and Shah ji give, no one else in any democracy in the world can give. On my birthday, they sent the ED to the homes of my advisor and two OSDs. Now, on my son Chaitanya’s birthday, the ED has raided my house. Thank you for these gifts—they will be remembered for a lifetime.”
Addressing the media outside his home, Baghel accused the Centre of misusing investigative agencies to intimidate Opposition leaders, especially when uncomfortable issues—such as alleged links to Adani Group in Tamnar forest matters—are raised.
“A matter related to Adani was to be raised in the Assembly today. To protect him, Modi and Shah have sent ED to my residence. They are trying to suppress the Opposition across the country. We will not be scared, we will not bow down. We trust our judiciary and democracy,” he said.
The ED raid is part of its ongoing probe into the alleged ₹2,161 crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. In March, ₹30 lakh in cash was seized during searches at 14 locations, including properties linked to Baghel and his son.
According to ED, Chaitanya Baghel is suspected to have received proceeds of crime from the alleged scam, which involved manipulation of the liquor supply chain, illegal commissions, and sale of unrecorded stock through government-run shops.
The probe originated from an Income Tax Department report that first flagged massive irregularities in the state’s liquor trade between 2019 and 2022.
Baghel’s office reiterated its stance online, saying: “ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of tree cutting in Tamnar for Adani was to be raised. ‘Saheb’ has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence.”
As the political heat rises in Chhattisgarh, the Congress has framed the raids as politically motivated, while the Centre maintains they are part of a legitimate crackdown on corruption.
