ED raids properties linked to Rajasthan Congress chief, summons CM Ashok Gehlot’s son
Gehlot alleged that the actions took place as the Bharatiya Janata Party did not want the poor to benefit from the Congress government’s welfare measures.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday summoned Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot for questioning in a case related to alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.
The central agency has directed Vaibhav Gehlot, a Congress member, to appear before it either in Jaipur or in New Delhi on Friday.
The summons came after the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids against Rajasthan-based hospitality group Triton Hotels & Resorts Private Limited, Vardha Enterprises Private Limited and its directors and promoters Shiv Shankar Sharma, Rattan Kant Sharma, reported PTI. The agency had seized Rs 1.2 crore cash after these searches.
The agency is investigating Rattan Kant Sharma’s alleged links with Vaibhav Gehlot.
On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate also conducted raids at properties linked to Rajasthan Congress president and MLA Govind Singh Dotasra and Independent MLA Om Prakash Hudla, reported The Indian Express.
The raids were reportedly in connection with a 2022 case pertaining to question papers of the Senior Teacher 2nd Grade Competitive Examination getting leaked.
The Congress has fielded Dotasra from the Lacchmangarh seat of Sikar for the upcoming state Assembly elections. Hudla is an independent MLA from the Mahwa constituency, and will contest the upcoming election on a Congress ticket.
Ashok Gehlot said that the Enforcement Directorate’s actions came a day after his party announced more social guarantees for women, ahead of the Assembly elections in the state on November 25.
The party on Wednesday had announced that it will provide Rs 10,000 annually to women heads of families, and will also provide subsidised cylinders to 1.04 crore families
“Now you can understand what I have been saying that ED’s raids happen daily in Rajasthan because the BJP does not want women, farmers and poor in Rajasthan to get the benefit of the guarantees given by Congress,” Gehlot said in a tweet on Thursday.