The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday claimed that it is currently investigating an alleged payment of approximately ₹508 crore made by the promoters of the Mahadev betting app to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over a period of time.

The betting app promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal have been facing several charges, including an investigation by the ED for money laundering.

This revelation comes after the central agency intercepted a courier identified as Asim Das and seized ₹5.39 crore from him during raids in Chhattisgarh. According to ED, Das was allegedly sent from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to deliver huge cash to a person named ‘Baghel’ in the poll-bound state.

The latest development in the Mahadev app scam investigation has now triggered a political storm in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Durg on Saturday, targeted CM Baghel saying that the ‘Congress even did not spare Mahadev’. He stated, “Congress party's Chhattisgarh government is leaving no opportunity to loot you. They did not leave even Mahadev.”

PM Modi also pledged that once the BJP returns to power in the state, action will be taken against all the accused involved in corruption.

Union Minister Smriti Irani joined the criticism, accusing the Congress of using Hawala money to fund their election campaign.

“Satta (power) me rah kar satta (betting) ka khel khela hai (he has played the game of betting while being in power),” she said, targeting Baghel for his alleged involvement in the Mahadev app scam, reported India Today.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, speaking to ANI, alleged that since the tenure of Baghel, corruption has seen a significant rise in the state.

#WATCH | Raipur, Chhattisgarh: On the Mahadev betting app case, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale says, "...This is big corruption... Congress has a habit of committing corruption, coming into power, and misleading people. Bhupesh Baghel's game will end, and he will have to go to… https://t.co/k6wqxDeImL pic.twitter.com/FK81lTsU3y

— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2023

In response, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal vehemently denied the allegations. Ramesh accused the BJP of misusing central agencies like the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a bid to tarnish Baghel’s image.

जब ED के बचाव में भाजपा सुबह-सुबह खुल कर आ जाए तो उनकी मिलीभगत, जुगलबंदी और एजेंसियों का छत्तीसगढ़ और राजस्थान में राजनीतिक दुरूपयोग स्पष्ट हो जाता है। चुनाव आयोग को इसका संज्ञान लेना चाहिए।

भरोसा बरकरार,फिर एक बार कांग्रेस सरकार…— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 4, 2023

According to a Mint report, Congress leader K C Venugopal asserted that there is a distinct conspiracy to smear CM Baghel’s reputation. He expressed confidence that the people will deliver a strong response to the BJP’s actions.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel lashed out at the BJP and the central government. He called the ED’s investigation a “political attempt to defame” the Congress government in the state, alleging that the BJP was trying to influence the upcoming Chhattisgarh elections with the help of agencies like ED, IT, DRI, and CBI. He wrote on X, “Just before the elections, the ED has made the most malicious attempt to tarnish my image.”

जैसा कि मैंने पहले कहा है कि भारतीय जनता पार्टी ईडी, आईटी, डीआरआई और सीबीआई जैसी एजेंसियों के सहारे छत्तीसगढ़ का चुनाव लड़ना चाहती है. चुनाव के ठीक पहले ईडी ने मेरी छवि धूमिल करने की सबसे कुत्सित प्रयास किया है. यह कांग्रेस की लोकप्रिय सरकार को बदनाम करने का राजनीतिक प्रयास है जो…

— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) November 3, 2023

Irani responded to Baghel’s remarks, citing information from police inquiries in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. She questioned whether Baghel is implicating his own government in the ongoing probe, reported India Today.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)