Priyanka Gandhi Slams ED Arrest of Bhupesh Baghel’s Son, Calls It ‘Tactic to Muzzle Opposition’

Patna: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi has come down heavily on the Centre over the arrest of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). She accused the ruling BJP government of misusing central agencies to stifle dissent and crush opposition voices.

Speaking out through a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi, the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, alleged that the ED raid was politically motivated. She claimed that Bhupesh Baghel was scheduled to raise the issue of deforestation in Chhattisgarh’s Tamnar region in the state assembly — a move that reportedly threatened powerful business interests. “The BJP government has dedicated all the forests of Chhattisgarh to Adani ji. The forests are being destroyed, blatantly violating the PESA law and NGT directives. Former Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel ji was about to raise this issue in the assembly. To stop him, the ED raided his house early in the morning and arrested his son,” she said.

Calling the action a deliberate attempt to prevent opposition leaders from highlighting serious issues, Priyanka remarked, “Over the past 11 years, the country has clearly understood that these are tactics to suppress the voice of the people and oppress the opposition. But it is impossible to suppress the truth or intimidate the opposition with such tactics. Every single Congress worker stands firmly with Baghel ji.”

On Friday, ED arrested Chaitanya Baghel in connection with the alleged ₹2,161 crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. The arrest followed an early morning raid at his residence in Bhilai, reportedly coordinated to coincide with the last day of the state assembly session. Officials say Chaitanya is a “recipient of proceeds of crime” generated from the liquor scam, which allegedly involved illegal commissions, manipulated liquor sales, and laundering of massive amounts of money.

Reacting to the ED’s presence, Bhupesh Baghel’s office posted on X: “Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. ‘Saheb’ has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence.”

This is not the first time ED has taken action in the case. In March, the agency recovered ₹30 lakh from premises linked to Baghel and his son during statewide raids. According to ED, a cartel involving politicians, bureaucrats, and liquor businessmen ran a massive illegal scheme between 2019 and 2022. The group is alleged to have siphoned off over ₹2,161 crore by manipulating supply chains and collecting bribes from suppliers for liquor sold outside official channels.

The scam probe originally stems from an Income Tax Department report that flagged serious irregularities in the state’s liquor trade. Earlier arrests in the case include IAS officer Anil Tuteja and liquor businessman Anwar Dhebar, the brother of Raipur’s mayor.