On a day the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized crores in cash in connection with the alleged disproportionate assets (DA) case in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government and claimed that the BJP-led Centre was misusing agencies as the party was not capable of winning the state in a “free and fair election.”

Addressing a press conference, Baghel said, “They (BJP) are afraid. They want to scare the officials. Basically, they are aware that they cannot win in a free and fair election. It is out of this frustration, they are trying to corner our state officials. They were there for 15 years. That time all the officials were good. Now, since they are no longer in power, the officials have suddenly turned corrupt. Officials are doing their work diligently. I urge the BJP not to harass the officials. Let them prove first — that Rs 25 per tonne was charged by our state. Otherwise, the BJP should apologise to the public.”

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Reacting to Raman Singh’s “Sonia Gandhi’s ATM remarks,” Baghel asked the former Chattisgarh Chief Minister to issue a public apology for his “objectionable” remarks. “Coal mines are under central government — what is the state’s role in all of this? Why are factories not getting coal? The centre has stopped all trains. Our state is suffering because of this,” Baghel further added.

The ED recovered Rs 4 crore in cash after it raided 40 locations in Chhattisgarh, including the residences of top bureaucrats and businessmen on Tuesday, according to PTI. Apart from the huge sum of money, the central probing agency had also recovered jewellery, gold and some sensitive documents pertaining to the case, news agency ANI reported.

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The raids were conducted in several places including Raipur, Mahasamund, Raigarh, Korba and Durg districts. Calling the raids a “clear attempt to harass and intimidate,” Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel told mediapersons that the I-T and ED raids are bound to intensify ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections.

The ED raided several influential figures, including Raigarh collector Ranu Sahu and her other half JP Maurya, director of the state mining department. Apart from these IAS officers, the ED searched the residences of Sameer Vishnoi, CEO of Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society and Chhattisgarh civil servant Saumya Chaurasia, who is the deputy secretary in Baghel’s office.

The search was also conducted in the premises of chartered accountant and businessman Surya Kant Tiwari, who is said to have several political connections in the state. Tiwari is also the son-in-law of former legislator Agni Chandrakar, whose house was also raided in connection with the same case. Chandrakar is the Chhattisgarh State Seed Corporation’s chairperson.