New Delhi, Nov 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel must provide answers to the people over the corruption allegations that surfaced in connection with the Mahadev betting app case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday claimed that Bhupesh Baghel was paid Rs 508 crore by the promoters of Mahadev Online Book promoters.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Sudhanshu Tiwari questioned: “Why a case of foreign money is always linked with the Congress party?”
He further asked the Congress to come clear on the reports of money transactions to Gulf countries. Saying that “corruption has many fathers but the money is orphan”, Tiwari attacked the Congress on charges by the Enforcement Directorate against CM Baghel in the betting app case.
“You must have seen the reports of claims by a person sitting in Dubai, that he is owner of the betting app. No one can match Congress in creating new milestones when it comes to corruption. They are breaking their own records… they have defated their own records” Tiwari remarked.
The facts that have emerged around how money was circulated by the betting raise many questions which the Congress must answer, he said, adding “they seem to be even leaving behind the thugs like Natwarlal and Charles Shobraj”.
He further said Rahul Gandhi and CM Bhagel should respond to claims made by Shubham Soni alleging fund transactions via the betting app.
It has been alleged that Mahadev app promoters paid Rs 508 crore to Baghel.
As per the confession of an individual, the money was sent to CM Baghel for spending in the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.
The BJP has questioned Baghel and Congress over the allegations and sought responses to the same. Chattisgarh is set to go into assembly elections this month.
Mahadev app accused claims he was advised by Baghel to go to UAE
Even as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel asserted that he was the one who sent requests for banning the Mahadev App and also for issuing LOC against its promoters, one of the accused on Sunday came out with a video statement claiming that Chief Minister himself had asked him to flee to the UAE. Shubham Soni, who is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case involving Mahadev app, in a video statement from Dubai said that he is the real owner of the app and had formed the company in 2021 and the gambling business was going all good when it started receiving attention from all corners and thus protection was required as a few people were getting arrested.
Soni further said that he then got in touch with a person named Verma, who then demanded for protection money to the tune of Rs 10 lakh per month.
Mahadev app, 21 online betting apps banned
Already under the cosh from the ED, illegal betting app Mahadev Online Book, along with 21 other software and websites, was banned by the government on Sunday.In a statement, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said it had issued blocking orders against 22 illegal betting apps and websites, including Mahadev Book and Reddyannaprestopro.
Accused Bhim Singh Yadav, working as a constable in the Chhattisgarh Police, and Asim Das are currently in custody, having been arrested under the sections of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). (IANS)