Shamelessly peddling lies, says Congress; accuses BJP of trying to implicate ex-Chhattisgarh CM in liquor 'scam'

'All allegations of corruption, and all legal cases of prosecution on corruption-related issues, have largely become political,' Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP of "shamelessly" peddling lies before the Chhattisgarh assembly elections last year through a "politically motivated" case to implicate former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, as the Supreme Court quashed a money laundering case against a former IAS officer and his son in the alleged liquor scam.

Party General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Prime Minister uses the ED, CBI and I-T "to hound all I.N.D.I.A. group politicians" and his "use of the washing machine to purify" the BJP's politicians" has "killed anti-corruption movements and initiatives" across the country. 

"All allegations of corruption, and all legal cases of prosecution on corruption-related issues, have largely become political," he posted on X.

He said the Supreme Court revealed that the Chhattisgarh 'liquor scam' was "in fact shamelessly fabricated by the ED" and the "BJP, through its frontal organisation the ED, had shamelessly peddled this lie before the Chhattisgarh polls last year, trying to implicate former CM Bhupesh Baghel in the syndicate. There is no longer any doubt that the entire case was politically motivated."

Ramesh said the ED had alleged in a special court that a criminal syndicate of politicians, private persons, and senior government officials had siphoned Rs 2,161 crore by selling liquor illegally from 2019 to 2022 and former IAS officer Anil Tuteja and his son Yash were portrayed as the "kingpins" of this syndicate. 

He said a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice AS Oka "swiftly quashed" this complaint and the court proceedings revealed "just how hollow the case really was".

"The Tutejas were not even named as the accused in the complaint. None of the alleged offences fell under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). There was no predicate offence (first act in the chain of a crime) or proceeds of the crime. If there are no proceeds of crime, then there is no money laundering," he said.