Shimla, Himachal Pradesh minister Jagat Singh Negi on Wednesday said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid against a Congress MLA from the state is a result of the BJP's frustration over losing six of the nine assembly seats where by-elections were held recently. Were.
Earlier in the day, the ED raided the premises of Congress MLA RS Bali, some private hospitals and their promoters as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged Ayushman Bharat scheme fraud.
Officials said searches were conducted at around 19 locations in Shimla, Kangra, Una, Mandi and Kullu districts, apart from Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab.
Speaking here, Negi said that during the by-elections, raids were conducted to influence the results and now after the BJP's defeat, raids are being conducted to harass Congress leaders and divert people's attention.
The Revenue and Horticulture Minister said, "ED raids are a result of BJP's frustration." He asked, "Why were raids not conducted against the mafia whose names were repeatedly taken in the Assembly?"
The money laundering case registered on July 16 is linked to an FIR lodged by the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in January 2023 for allegedly making “fake” AB-PMJAY (Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) cards.
The ED has alleged that several medical bills were generated on such "fake" cards, causing loss to the exchequer and the public and the total "proceeds of crime" in the case are estimated to be around Rs 25 crore.
The ruling Congress in the state won six of the nine recently held assembly by-elections.
By-elections were held on six assembly seats in June following the disqualification of six rebel Congress MLAs. Due to the resignation of three independent MLAs, by-elections on the other three seats became necessary.
Earlier in the day, the ED raided the premises of Congress MLA RS Bali, some private hospitals and their promoters as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged Ayushman Bharat scheme fraud.
Officials said searches were conducted at around 19 locations in Shimla, Kangra, Una, Mandi and Kullu districts, apart from Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab.
Speaking here, Negi said that during the by-elections, raids were conducted to influence the results and now after the BJP's defeat, raids are being conducted to harass Congress leaders and divert people's attention.
The Revenue and Horticulture Minister said, "ED raids are a result of BJP's frustration." He asked, "Why were raids not conducted against the mafia whose names were repeatedly taken in the Assembly?"
The money laundering case registered on July 16 is linked to an FIR lodged by the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in January 2023 for allegedly making “fake” AB-PMJAY (Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) cards.
The ED has alleged that several medical bills were generated on such "fake" cards, causing loss to the exchequer and the public and the total "proceeds of crime" in the case are estimated to be around Rs 25 crore.
The ruling Congress in the state won six of the nine recently held assembly by-elections.
By-elections were held on six assembly seats in June following the disqualification of six rebel Congress MLAs. Due to the resignation of three independent MLAs, by-elections on the other three seats became necessary.
