New Delhi/Jaipur: As Rajasthan gets ready for the November 25 Assembly polls, the Enforcement Directorate on 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.
In another development, the Central agency summoned chief minister Ashok Gehlot's son in a foreign exchange violation case.
In the exam paper leak case, besides the premises of 59-year-old Mr Dotasra, a former Rajasthan minister for school education, the agency also searched the premises of a party candidate from Mahua seat in Dausa, Omprakash Hudla, and some others, the sources said.
The raids were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). An armed escort of the CRPF accompanied the ED teams during the raids in the money laundering case that arose from the Rajasthan police FIRs against the accused.
"The accused, in connivance with each other, leaked the question paper of general knowledge of senior teacher grade II competitive examination, which was scheduled to be conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) in December last year and provided it to appearing candidates for the consideration amount of Rs 8–10 lakhs per candidate," the ED said.
In this case, the ED had earlier arrested former RPSC member Babulal Katara and two other people -- Anil Kumar Meena and Bhupendra Saran.
On Thursday, the agency also summoned the Rajasthan chief minister's son Vaibhav Gehlot for questioning in a case related to the alleged contravention of the foreign exchange law. Vaibhav has been asked to depose before the Central agency's headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, the sources said.
The Congress slammed the Central government over the ED's action against its leaders in Rajasthan. The party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking the help of probe agencies in fighting polls and said the people of Rajasthan will give the BJP a befitting reply.
The ED's summons to Viabhav is linked to the recent raids against Rajasthan-based hospitality groups Triton Hotels & Resorts Pvt Ltd, Vardha Enterprises Pvt Ltd and its directors and promoters -- Shiv Shankar Sharma, Rattan Kant Sharma and others.
The agency had searched the group and its promoters for three days in August at several locations in Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai and Delhi.
Mr Sharma's alleged links with the Rajasthan CM's son are under the scanner of the ED.
The agency is expected to question and record Mr Sharma's statement under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Mr Gehlot flayed the ED action, saying terror has been unleashed in the country. He alleged the BJP was targeting him through ED raids as they could not topple his government.
Addressing a press conference here, the Rajasthan chief minister claimed that ED raids happen wherever elections are held. Be it Chhattisgarh, Karnataka or Himachal Pradesh, the ED raids happened just before elections, he said.
"Raids happened, but the Congress won the elections. The situation is worrisome. They have unleashed terror in the country," he said, adding that this "is not about my son or the Congress president; the ED has unleashed a reign of terror."
Soon after the action against its leaders in poll-bound Rajasthan, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that agencies such as the ED, the CBI and the income-tax department become the real "panna pramukh" (party workers) of the BJP as soon as elections come.
"Seeing its certain defeat in Rajasthan, the BJP made its last throw of the dice! After Chhattisgarh, the ED has also entered the election campaign in Rajasthan and started action against the Congress leaders," Mr Kharge said.
"The dictatorship of the Modi government is fatal for democracy. We will continue to fight against the misuse of agencies and the public will give a befitting reply to the BJP," the Congress chief said in a post on X.
In rare support for Mr Gehlot, his arch rival in the party and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot also condemned the ED action and said the leaders and workers of the state Congress are standing together in solidarity.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also accused the BJP of playing "a dirty game."
Reacting sharply, the BJP accused the Congress party and Mr Gehlot of trying to "politicise" the Enforcement Directorate's action as it has moved in to catch "big fish" who were involved in the examination paper leak case.
"Mr Gehlot is frustrated with action against corruption because his government has broken all limits of corruption. His own party leaders, MLAs, advisors and ministers have said that this is the most corrupt government of the century,” senior BJP leader and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.
Mr Shekhawat also said a series of government recruitment exam paper leaks took place in Rajasthan, putting the future of lakhs of youths in the dark, but the Gehlot government kept on covering up the “corruption” denying the involvement of his government “officials and political persons”.
