CM Baghel using hawala transactions for Assembly elections: Smriti Irani

Union minister Smriti Irani said that the Congress in Chhattisgarh has been utilising funds from hawala transactions to fund its election campaign in the poll-bound state.

She said, "Never before in our electoral history had people seen such evidence." Taking about Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, she said, "One of the most volatile and shocking pieces of evidence regarding the use of hawala operations and illicit money emanating from Dubai by illegal betting operators to fund the election expenses of the Congress party in Chhattisgarh has come to the fore. He has played the game of betting while being in power."

On November 2, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a cash courier boy, who had been dispatched from the UAE to deliver a large sum of cash for electioneering expenses in Chhattisgarh. The ED confiscated Rs 5.39 crore from Asim Das, and said that Das admitted that the seized funds had been organised by the promoters of the Mahadev betting app for delivering to one politician, "Baghel", to cover the upcoming Assembly election expenses in Chhattisgarh.

Smriti Irani said, "Yesterday, shocking facts regarding Bhupesh Baghel emerged before the country. More than Rs 5.30 crore was seized from a man called Asim Das... Is it true that the Congress leaders received money from Asim Das, via Shubham Soni? Is it true that Aseem Das was specifically called to Dubai to deliver cash to Bhupesh Baghel? Is it true that Shubham Soni was ordered by Asim Das to go to Raipur and give money to Baghel as election expenses?"

The ED said that Das confessed that a total of Rs 508 crore had been disbursed to CM Baghel by the Mahadev App promoters.

In response, CM Baghel said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using central investigation agencies to target him just prior to the upcoming Assembly elections.

Smriti Irani said, "There are voice messages and statements from the accused that establish a connection between usage of betting funds for funding the Congress' election campaign in Chhattisgarh and the kickbacks provided to CM Baghel."