Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Thursday alleged that the Enforcement Directorate action against Congress leaders in Rajasthan was "politically motivated" and an indication that the BJP is trailing in all five poll-bound states. Coming as it does on the eve of polls, the timing of the ED action, its intent, and objective were suspect, he said.
Turning the heat on the ruling Congress in poll-bound Rajasthan, the ED Thursday raided the premises of state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra in Jaipur and Sikar as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged exam paper leak case and summoned Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son in a foreign exchange violation case.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Pilot said, "Elections are set to take place in Rajasthan in a few days from now and the Model Code of Conduct is in place but the timing, intent, and objective of the government of India agencies' action in various places in Rajasthan is suspicious."
"The agencies are being misused constantly and this is well known. The way the agencies have been let loose in Rajasthan before polls to intimidate Congress leaders, the country and the state are watching," he said. The Congress is against corruption and in favour of action being taken if there is an impartial inquiry and any evidence is found, but the government is specifically targeting leaders without any facts seeing an "imminent defeat" of the BJP in the upcoming polls in Rajasthan, Pilot said.
"This is to give a message that if the BJP becomes weaker politically it will misuse various agencies and intimidate people. The Congress opposes this…The BJP is trailing in all five states and today's action is a clear indication of that," he said.
Coming out strongly in defence of his bete noire Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav, Pilot said the CM's son had himself pointed out that this was a 12-year-old matter. "Everyone knows what is the intention behind this (ED action) on the eve of election. Agencies are being used as a political weapon is a negative indicator in democracy," he said.
"We will fight this election robustly and win this election in Rajasthan," Pilot asserted. He condemned the ED action and said it is politically motivated.
Asked about the BJP's charge that Congress leaders were politicising the ED raids, Pilot said, "The one who is politicising the entire institutions of this country is the ruling dispensation. It is the BJP that has made it a habit of using government agencies as a weapon and a tool to target and harass and intimidate leaders of the opposition.
"Now when they feel that they cannot win the elections through the mandate of the people of the area, they engage these agencies. They are fearful of the fact that they may not win the mandate as they hope to. In all the five states, the Congress is doing exceedingly well and I am happy to report that all these intimidating tactics will not work," Pilot said.
"We must take inspiration from Rahul Gandhi who has faced all these challenges. Nothing for the Congress leaders to fear or be intimidated," he said. Congress leader Sachin Pilot also condemned the ED action and said the leaders and workers of the state Congress are standing together in solidarity.
"I strongly condemn the ED raid on Rajasthan Congress State President Govind Singh Dotasara. ED summon has also been given to Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot," he said in a post on X. He said the BJP cannot scare Congress leaders with such tactics.
"BJP's nervousness is clearly visible due to such action because the public has made up its mind to bring the Congress government back in Rajasthan in the upcoming elections," he added. Elections are set to take place in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Telangana.
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