Congress delegation meets Election Commissioner over 'politically motivated' Punjab ED raids

New Delhi, January 20: A Congress delegation met Chief Election Commissioner of India Sushil Chandra on Thursday to register a complaint against "politically motivated" raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on relatives of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

"Politically motivated raids by the Enforcement Directorate on the premises of the nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi solely with a view to maligning and defaming the Punjab Chief Minister and incumbent Congress Government," reads the memorandum submitted by the Congress party to the Chief Election Commissioner of India. The Congress has also sought the intervention of the Election Commission as it claims that these raids are a violation of the model code of conduct. Also read | Covid-19: Schools to reopen in this state as Omicron cases decline "Seeking urgent and necessary directions to the Finance Ministry and Enforcement Directorate officials and other central investigation agencies carrying out politically motivated raids in violation of the Election Commission's directions/order under the model code of conduct," the memorandum read. The Congress delegation that met Chandra via online video conference included Randeep Surjewala, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Harish Chaudhary, Devender Yadav, Ganesh Godiyal, Pranav Jha, Aman Panwar. The ED on Wednesday seized more than Rs 10 crore cash, gold worth above Rs 21 lakh and a Rolex watch worth Rs 12 lakh from the residential premises of land mafia Bhupinder Singh Honey and others in connection with an alleged illegal sand mining case. The Enforcement Directorate declared the recoveries after it concluded its two-day raid conducted on the business and residential premises of the accused persons and their associates in more than 10 places in Mohali, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Pathankot. The ED raids went on from 7.30 am till late night on Tuesday and it again started on early Wednesday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Meanwhile, Punjab will go to the Assembly elections on February 20 and the results will be declared on March 10. Also read | Covid vaccination 'preventing' deaths in third wave, claim experts -PTC News