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Punjab Election 2022: Congress lodges protest against EC over ED raids against CM Channi’s nephew

The Congress further alleged that ED raids are a revenge against the failure of the PM's rally in Ferozepur on January 5.

Punjab Election 2022: Congress lodges protest against EC over ED raids against CM Channi's nephew-dnm
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New Delhi, First Published Jan 20, 2022, 9:03 PM IST

The Congress on Thursday lodged a protest with the Election Commission days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew and termed it politically motivated.

The party alleged that Charanjit Singh Channi, a Congress leader’s family members, are being targeted in order to create a perception and influence voters into believing that Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi through his family members and the Indian National Congress is involved in the allegations of money laundering.

“Malice and malafide news stories planted by the ED against the Chief Minister and fake perception being created - Deliberate and malicious news is being selectively leaked and planted in the news media imputing motives at Chief Minister Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi,” it said.

The Congress further alleged that ED raids are a revenge against the failure of the PM's rally in Ferozepur on January 5. A sustained attack has been launched by the Central government and the BJP against Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi.

An AICC delegation comprising Randeep Surjewala, Abhishek M Singhvi, Harish Chaudhary, Devender Yadav, Ganesh Godiyal, Pranav Jha, Aman Panwar and others met the CEC virtually to protest against the raids by ED, PTI reported.

The delegation also reminded the CEC about the violations of Model Code of Conduct by the Uttarakhand Government for back- dating and tampering of Government records as also Representation of People Act, 1951.

The party alleged, “blatant misuse of Central Investigative Agencies for conducting politically motivated raids with the sole objective to publicly defame and malign the leaders of Indian National Congress, particularly, the Congress Chief Minister in the State of Punjab, continues regardless of the Model Code of Conduct and with a view to illegally influence public opinion in the ongoing elections scheduled to be held on 20/02/2022,” as reported by PTI.

The Congress alleged that similar raids were carried prior to 2019 elections when, “the Commission, while taking cognizance of our memorandums and in exercise of all appropriate and residue powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India had issued an advisory to the Central Government on the illegal, motivated and vendetta driven enforcement actions being undertaken by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, a month before the general elections.”

The party said that it’s unfortunate that despite a specific direction issued by this Commission, the Central Government continues to flout it with impunity as if they are baiting this commission to profess that a premeditated Central Government is neither under the jurisdiction of this Commission nor does it need to adhere to any constitutional authority, the report added.

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