The Enforcement Directorate is having a field day. It keeps the heat on non-BJP States and on the saffron party’s rival leaders. So, cases in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and the nephew of senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath are rolling out. Expectedly, ensuing Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh has got the ED super active with the obvious target being Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

On August 23 , it conducted searches at the premises of his political advisor Vinod Verma and two OSDs in Raipur and Durg districts, besides a businessman. While the nature of the cases is not exactly known, (it is investigating alleged coal scam, liquor scam, irregularities in District Mineral Foundation fund and an online betting application), Baghel who turned 62 that day tweeted: “Respected Prime Minister and Amit Shah! Thank you very much for the priceless gift you have given me on my birthday by sending ED to my political advisor, OSD and close aides.”

The Congress has lashed out other than the normal reaction of ‘political vendetta’, it said the ‘ED action is a clear reaction to all the pre-poll surveys that have predicted a massive rout for the BJP.’ 

Likewise in Jharkhand, the ED raided premises of Finance Minister and senior Congress leader Rameshwar Oraon, among others as part of a money laundering investigation into a reported liquor scam. Oraon’s son, Rohit, is said to have invested money in some businesses, part of the raids.

The Congress reacted: “The ED needs to state what it has found. Rameshwar Oraon is a man of stature, he was a former MP, he headed the SC Commission…His son has a spotless reputation…Whenever the political landscape seems to be sliding out of BJP’s control in Jharkhand, they do politics through the ED. It’s an act of desperation. The public will show them their place soon.” While time will tell, it appears the ED has thrown caution to the winds. 

On Monday last the Supreme Court had observed “the ED can’t be a law unto itself,” while restraining it and the UP government from proceeding in a fresh case registered against some of the accused in an alleged liquor syndicate racket in Chhattisgarh.