ED raids to break morale ahead of LS polls: Cong MLA's mother

Congress legislator Amba Prasad's mother Nirmala Devi on Tuesday, 12 March said the ED raided the premises of her daughter to break her morale ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday carried out searches against Jharkhand Congress MLA Amba Prasad and some others allegedly linked to her as part of a money laundering investigation.

"I was offered an MP ticket from the BJP for Hazaribagh, which I declined. Some people from the BJP side pressurised me to contest from the side of BJP MP Chatra. We are from the Congress party, and we have consistently won the Barkagaon seat. We are very strong in that area of Hazaribagh. I saw it from the party's and media's perspective that I am a winning candidate. So, this is a consequence of my refusal, and today I have been subjected to torture throughout the day, which is unacceptable," says Congress leader Amba Prasad.

Devi, a former MLA talking to media persons outside her Hazaribag residence said that her daughter Amba Prasad is in Ranchi while her son-in-law was in Delhi.

"I had no idea of the raid, as I was not inside. I knew it through media persons. I am no longer in politics. I had told my daughter to leave politics," she said.

Devi said, "The action (ED raids) is being carried out to break the morale before the election".

Jharkhand Congress legislative party leader Alamgir Alam said that only members of the opposition are being targeted. "Why only leaders of the opposition are being targeted. This is just the beginning of the election session and they (BJP) cleared their intentions", he told reporters.

Jharkhand Congress working president Bandhu Tirkey said that the action is meant to harass the MLA.

A clutch of FIRs related to alleged illegal sand mining, extortion and some other crimes have formed the basis of the ED action being undertaken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.