Central agencies opening offices in MP to target Congress leaders, claims Digvijaya Singh

BHOPAL: Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday claimed that the BJP-led central government was planning to use the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax (IT) Department to target the leaders of opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh, similar to the action going on in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the grand old party is in power.

He also said that as per the poll surveys, the Congress would come to power in Madhya Pradesh after the assembly elections to be held by the year-end. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at Singh, and asked why the Congress leaders were afraid of the central agencies as they work independently. "We are getting information through newspapers that the offices of Income Tax and ED are being opened at different places...Officials are being posted...They are raiding the ruling (Congress) regime in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan," Singh told reporters in Bhopal.

He alleged that there was large-scale corruption in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh. "If ED, IT offices are being opened in Madhya Pradesh, they should raid the chief minister, ministers and their favourite officers, but as per the news being received, they are planning to target the Congress and opposition leaders in MP," he said. On the contrary, the ED and the IT department are raiding the ministers and staffers of the chief minister in Chhattisgarh because they are in government, he said. Singh said that besides the survey findings, people have made up their mind to vote Congress to power in the state.


"The BJP-led central government is nervous due to the party's imminent defeat and therefore wants to create a fear of IT and ED in the minds of those people who are out of power, instead of those involved in corruption. But Congress leaders are not afraid," he said.

Reacting to Singh's allegations, Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi asked, "Why are the Congress leaders afraid? ED and IT will open new offices as part of the expansion of their work ambit. These agencies are independent bodies and free to operate." "Digvijaya Singh should be afraid of these agencies if he and his party leaders are involved in corruption," he alleged.