Bhupesh Baghel: ED action against son to mask Adani illegal tree-felling case

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday (July 21) alleged that the ED action against his son was initiated as the Congress was set to raise the issue of "illegal tree felling" in the state assembly.

Days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chaitanya Baghel in an alleged liquor scam-linked money laundering case, Bhupesh Baghel met the top Congress leadership at the Parliament House complex in Delhi and apprised them of the situation.

Also Read: Bhupesh Baghel says ED raid meant to 'divert attention' from Tamnar tree felling

Nationwide attention

The senior Congress leader told reporters outside Parliament that he believes that it is his son's "good fortune" that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are against him.

"Modi-Shah can tolerate anything, but they cannot tolerate anything against Adani. Otherwise, after the raid that happened on March 10, there was no notice, no interrogation. But on his birthday on July 18, the ED arrested him," said the former CM.

"The same day, Adani was doing illegal tree felling, and we had moved an adjournment motion in the Assembly against it. To ensure this was not discussed, all these actions happened," Baghel claimed.

The former CM said his son is not in politics and is a farmer.

"I consider it my son's good fortune that the prime minister and the home minister are against him. No one knew the name of my son. Now the whole country knows it," he said.

Family targeted repeatedly

He stated that every now and then, his family was targeted with a false case, and recounted how in May 2017, he had gone to the EOW office with his entire family, including his late mother.

“During the tenure of then-Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, when we began exposing scams, their attempts to turn Chhattisgarh into Adanigarh, that’s when they resorted to conspiracies,” he said in a post on X.

“During that time, my late mother’s health deteriorated, and she had to be admitted to Ramkrishna Hospital in Raipur. They believed that by summoning Bhupesh Baghel’s mother, I would get scared and wouldn’t be able to bear the pressure on my family,” Baghel noted.

Adding that he continued to fight undeterred, he noted that another attempt was made before the 2018 assembly elections to send him to jail.

“The public had not forgotten that era of oppression filled with scams and scandals - and they still haven’t. In the 2018 assembly elections, the public taught them a bitter lesson. Their 15-year rule was reduced to just 15 seats, and the BJP was ousted from the state,” he further said.

Also Read: Bhupesh Baghel's son arrested by ED following raids at his Chhattisgarh residence

'Chhattisgarh to Adanigarh'

Stating that the BJP consistently attempted to turn Chhattisgarh into Adanigarh, Baghel said that after the Congress government was formed in 2018, the mining project allotted to the Adani group in Bailadila was cancelled, as the gram sabha consent obtained for it was found to be fake.

“When we prioritised tribal rights and environmental protection during our government, and when Rahul Gandhi returned the land acquired by Tata in Lohandiguda to the tribals, they realised this was a Congress government — one that would not serve their selfish interests,” Baghel added.

Understanding that their plans to loot Chhattisgarh’s resources would fail, they launched one conspiracy after another, continuing their efforts to defame the Congress government, he noted.

“The struggle has continued since then. Agencies have been unleashed across the state. Every day there’s a raid somewhere. Every day a new conspiracy, a new accusation. Relentless attempts to tarnish the image of the government and the party have persisted,” Baghel said.

'Lakhs of trees felled'

Baghel said that as soon as the BJP government took office in 2023, lakhs of trees were cut down in Hasdeo.

“The trees we had long protected - under whose invisible orders was Hasdeo destroyed? It became clear then that even before Vishnu Deo took his oath, Adani had already taken an oath to become the master of Chhattisgarh,” Baghel further said.

Adding that the game to turn Chhattisgarh into Adanigarh has begun, he claimed Bastar is being emptied to lay a red carpet for Adani, while Hasdeo has already been ravaged.

“After that, in Tamnar, Raigarh, under the protection of Vishnu Deo’s administration, villagers were held hostage, a Congress MLA was arrested, and Adani’s men cut down 5,000 trees,” claimed Baghel.

Also Read: No ED summons for my son; media hype created, says ex-CM Baghel

Son in custody

Baghel said he met Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and apprised them of the situation and the alleged targeting by probe agencies.

Chaitanya was taken into custody by the ED on Friday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following fresh raids at his residence in Bhilai town of Durg district. The father-son duo reside at the same house.

Bhupesh Baghel has alleged that central agencies are being misused to target opposition leaders, but stressed that he trusted the judiciary and would cooperate with them.

(With inputs from agencies)