Election Updates: 'Modi Gaaliyon Se...', Says PM While Addressing a Rally in Poll-Bound Chhattisgarh

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday alleged that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was a direct beneficiary in the Mahadev app scam. Baghel accused the ED of making a “malicious attempt” to tarnish his image ahead of the assembly polls in the state this month.

He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of taking the help of central investigation agencies after failing to take on the ruling Congress in the state.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the upcoming Chhattisgarh assembly polls in Raipur. Among the 20 announcements, the Ram Lalla Darshan Yojana remains important.

“Under the scheme, locals will be taken for darshan to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22, 2024,” Shah announced.

LATEST UPDATES

• Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut hinted at debuting in electoral politics and said that if Lord Krishna blesses her, she will contest the next Lok Sabha elections. She was in Gujarat’s Dwarka to offer prayers at the famous Dwarkadhish temple of Lord Krishna on Friday morning.
• Slamming the Congress party, PM Modi said that they do not value the poor. He said that the biggest caste in the nation is that of the poor and said that ‘Modi uska sevak bhai aur beta hai’ (Modi is both its serving brother and son). “Congress’s politics for the seat is visible,” he added.
• The prime minister also said that the Congress party has not even spared ‘Mahadev’, which is another name for Lord Shiva. He said that the Congress government has left no opportunity to loot the people of Chhattisgarh, adding that, “They did not leave even the name of Mahadev”.
• Only BJP bring development in Chhattisgarh, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally in the state’s Durg district. Pointing at the ED raids in connection to the Mahadev app scam, the prime minister said “ye paisa jue ka hai, satte ka hai” (this money has come from gambling).
• Pointing at the state’s chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, PM Modi asked “Why is Bhupesh Baghel rattled?”, adding that Baghel is abusing the investigating agencies. “Modi gaaliyon se darta nahi hai,” (Modi is not scared of abuses) the prime minister said. The prime minister said those who have looted people of Chhattisgarh will not be spared, adding that when the BJP comes to power in the state, “all the scams will be investigated”.
• Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge while commenting on the ED raids in Chhattisgarh said “It’s their work to scare people, to trap and demoralise workers,” adding that the state does not have fearful voters or leaders.
• Slamming the naming of Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel by the ED, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that” the PM has unleashed his last and only remaining astra — ED — the Modiastra to damage the reputations of Congress. leaders. “But the people of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are the Congress party’s Kavach. Mr Modi’s threats and intimidations will only strengthen the resolve of voters who know this is just election drama reflecting the BJP’s desperation.”
• Meanwhile, CM Bhupesh Baghel on Friday accused the ED of making a “malicious attempt” to tarnish his image ahead of the assembly polls in the state this month. He also accused PM Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah of taking the help of central investigation agencies after failing to take on the ruling Congress in the state.
• Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Friday declared the Sankalp Patra of the party for the Chhattisgarh assembly polls in the presence of former chief minister Dr Raman Singh, state chief Arun Sahu, and other leaders.
• The ED on Friday alleged that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was a direct beneficiary in the Mahadev app scam. The agency quoted its probe into accused Asim Das and said, “Mr Asim Das admitted that he was carrying Rs 5 crore to deliver to the ruling political executives of Chhattisgarh. He named ‘Bhupesh Baghel’ CM of Chhattisgarh, as the intended final recipient for the cash seized from his control.”
• BRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday said the BJP should be taught a lesson in the November 30 Assembly polls, as it has not sanctioned even a single medical college or Navodaya school to the state. Addressing a rally, KCR took a dig at the Congress party and said, its leaders including Rahul Gandhi say that if voted to power they will remove Dharani, an integrated land management portal, which may pave the way for the “middlemen regime” again.
• In Karnataka, state deputy chief minister and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar indicated that young, new faces and those who are known to people and have good oratory skills stand a bright chance of being picked as party candidates for next year’s Lok Sabha elections. He said a survey is being conducted to pick potential nominees in the state.
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also accused the Central government of using central investigation agencies like ED and the Income Tax department to settle political enmity. “You (Centre) should use these agencies to catch criminals but instead, they are being used to settle political enmity. You are harassing political leaders across the country and toppling governments by intimidation. This is not fair,” he said. (With PTI inputs)
• PM Modi while addressing a rally in poll-bound Chhattisgarh said, “I have decided that the BJP government will extend the scheme of providing free ration to 80 crore poor people of the country for the next 5 years.”