Rajasthan: Congress slams BJP for ED raids, agencies are 'panna pramukh', says Kharge

A month before Congress-ruled Rajasthan goes to polls, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out searches at 11 locations linked to Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra and Independent MLA Om Prakash Hudla in the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) paper leak case.

Searches were underway (until the time of publishing this report) in Jaipur, Dausa and Sikar, including the residential premises of both Congress leaders. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot has also been summoned for questioning.

Strongly criticising the BJP for misusing national investigative agencies in election season as its "arms", Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on X, "As election approaches, the ED, CBI and IT become panna pramukhs for the BJP. In view of its definite defeat in Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party has used its last bet."

Loosely speaking, a panna pramukh is a grassroots party worker entrusted with last-mile voter mobilisation, used by the BJP in various states in the buildup to important elections.

"After Chhattisgarh, the ED has also begun taking action against Congress leaders in Rajasthan for the assembly election campaign. Dictatorship of the Modi government is dangerous for democracy. We will continue to fight against the misuse of agencies, and people will give a firm answer to the BJP," Kharge added.

Reacting to the ED searches, Ashok Gehlot said "the BJP does not want women, poor people, and farmers to get the guarantees promised by the Congress".

Referring to a new welfare scheme announced by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi for women at her Jhunjhunu rally, Gehlot said, "On 25 October, Congress launched the guarantees for women in the state. On 26 October, Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara's premises were searched by ED. My son Vaibhav Gehlot was also served a summons to appear before ED. Now you can understand why I have been saying that ED searches in Rajasthan keep happening because BJP does not want the women, poor, farmers to get the guarantees promised by the Congress."

At Jhunjhunu, Priyanka Gandhi had announced that women heads of households would be provided Rs 10,000 annually by the Congress government.

Congress leader Pawan Khera also hit out at the government and said, "Last week, Ashok Gehlot addressed a press conference and raised questions on the actions of central agencies. Today once again, the ED got active in Rajasthan. Modi ji, fight elections fairly, don't take the help of central agencies."

In a post on X, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Srinivas BV said, "BJP's special election department wing ED has jumped into the fray to save the BJP, which has reached the verge of losing the elections badly in Rajasthan. ED raids just one month before polls at state Congress president Govind Dotasra's residence are extremely embarrassing.

"Modi ji, fight in front of janata ki adalat, how long will you fight the elections with the help of investigative agencies? Well, the results will remain the same as in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka."

Polling for the 200-member Rajasthan assembly is rescheduled for 25 November and counting of votes will be held on 3 December. Determined to retain power for the second consecutive term, the ruling Congress has launched several pro-people schemes in the state in recent months.