Raipur, Jul 18 (PTI) Amid the Enforcement Directorate's action against his son in an alleged liquor scam-linked money laundering case, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said central agencies were being misused to target opposition leaders.

The ED arrested the senior Congress leader's son, Chaitanya Baghel, from his residence in Bhilai town in Durg district. He was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following fresh raids at his home, where he resides with his father.

Baghel said, "To please their master, PM Modi and Amit Shah have sent the ED to my house. We won't be scared or bow down. Bhupesh Baghel won't be afraid. We will fight the battle of truth." "On one hand, in Bihar, voters are being removed (from the voters list) with the help of the Election Commission...democracy is being stripped, and on the other hand, they are misusing the ED, IT, CBI, DRI to suppress opposition leaders. But now, people of the country have understood and are well aware," he told reporters outside his Bhillai residence.

The Congress leader said, "The ED had come in the past as well and raided my place and found Rs 33 lakh in my house. Now they have come again. What does this mean? We will fully cooperate, whether they trust or not, we believe in democracy and the judiciary. They (BJP) are misusing the agency, but we will cooperate with them." He further questioned the timing of the raid, which coincided with Chaitanya's birthday.

"Nobody in any democracy in the world can give a birthday gift like the one Modi and Shah have given. On my birthday, both the most respected leaders sent the ED to the houses of my advisor and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanya's birthday, an ED team is raiding my house. Thanks for these gifts. I will remember them for life," he said.

Chaitanya was produced in a special court in Raipur.

Talking to PTI Videos in the court premises, Baghel said, "You all are aware that Adani wanted to do mining and cut forest, and the Congress party has been creating obstacles in this. The action is being taken due to this." Baghel and Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant reached the court premises after boycotting the state Assembly proceedings, alleging that the central probe agency has been trying to harass the opposition leaders and their family members.

Earlier, Baghel, in a post on X, said the ED came to his home on the last day of the assembly session when the issue of trees being felled for a coal mine project of the Adani Group in Tamnar tehsil of Raigarh district was to be raised.

He visited the tehsil earlier this month and extended support to local villagers who have been protesting against tree felling for a coal mine project in the area.

The mine is allotted to Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO), which has contracted the MDO (mine developer cum operator) to the Adani group.

The ED has claimed that Chaitanya was suspected to be the "recipient" of the proceeds from the alleged liquor scam.

It has been said that the "scam" resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over Rs 2,100 crore.

In this case, the ED, in January, arrested former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, besides Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others as part of this investigation. PTI TKP VT ARU

Enforcement Directorate action against alleged money laundering prompts accusations of political targeting but subjects pledge cooperation with probe. Enforcement Directorate action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act arrested a family member as a suspected recipient of proceeds from an alleged liquor scam, alleging massive loss to the state exchequer and naming multiple previously arrested persons; the political leader accused misuse of central agencies, questioned the timing amid assembly business and local mining protests, and pledged cooperation with the investigation while asserting democratic and judicial faith.