Congress speaking on corruption, vindictiveness; it's a shame: Sitharaman

Rejecting the Congress' charge linking Enforcement Directorate's raids against its leaders in Chhattisgarh to vendetta politics, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday accused the opposition party of indulging in "spit and run" tactics.

She said the Congress should not speak on corruption as it lost power on the issue and asserted that the probe agencies do their homework and investigate only when they have necessary prima facie evidence.

The ED conducted searches at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including on the premises linked to Congress leaders, as part of an ongoing investigation into the coal levy money laundering case, officials said.

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The raids come ahead of the plenary session of the Congress party from February 24-26 in the state capital Raipur. The state is ruled by the party under Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

"If anything, these raids have increased our determination. If anything, these raids have given us a booster dose to be even more aggressive against the prime minister and his third-rate politics of vengeance, vendetta and harassment," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh told reporters in Delhi.

Sitharaman hit back at the Congress, alleging it is only "concerned about the welfare of family, dynasty and party".

"The Congress should not speak on corruption at all and then bring in the angle of vindictiveness. It's a shame. Congress governments, one after the other from the first one, have gotten out of power only on issues related to corruption," the BJP leader told reporters here.

She further said, "Investigative agencies do their homework and only when they have necessary prima facie evidence, they go and investigate...It's strange that a party, whose past presidents are out on bail in corruption-related matters, is talking about corruption."

In Parliament, the minister said, Congress leaders hurl allegations but walk out of without hearing the reply.

"The Congress should learn either not to walk out of the House so that they can take the reply the PM gives or when they throw allegations, they should throw it with substantial evidence and not through 'spit and run' tactics," she said.

She accused the Congress government of stopping the country from moving forward due to its partisan politics.

"Congress adopted the mechanism of stopping the country from moving forward due to politicisation because they are not concerned about the country. They are only concerned about the welfare of family, dynasty and party. For years the people of Gujarat yearned for Narmada water but the Congress did not care," she alleged.