Baghel’s ‘28% GST’ Jibe At Centre Blocking Mahadev App; Reacts To Accused Video
Hours after the central government issued an order to block the Mahadev betting app, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed astonishment that the app was allowed to operate for months even as it was facing a money laundering probe.
The Congress leader also called for the extradition and arrest of the app operators from Dubai.
“Eventually the central government came to its senses and decided to ban ‘Mahadev App’,” Baghel said in a social media post on X.
“I have been asking questions for several months as to why the central government is not banning this betting app,” he added, alleging perhaps because of the “greed of 28 per cent GST or the BJP has done dealings with the app operators.”
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Sunday issued orders to block 22 illegal betting apps and websites, including Mahadev Book Online. The action was taken at the recommendation of the ED which is carrying out a probe into the app operators over alleged money laundering, according to a government release.
“It is surprising that ED has been investigating this matter for months and yet the app continued to operate,” Baghel said.
“Now that the Central Government has come to its senses, it is better that the operators of this app are also arrested from Dubai and brought to India as soon as possible.”
Baghel also reacted to a purported video of an accused in the Mahadev Book betting app case in which he claims that he had the “proof” of paying ₹508 crore to the Chhattisgarh chief minister.
The Chhattisgarh CM alleged the BJP is employing central agencies to tarnish the image of the people-friendly Congress government of the state.
“It is no mystery why and how this video has come and it is also not difficult to understand that such a statement has been issued at the time of elections only to benefit the BJP. Just before elections, an ugly attempt is made to spoil my image. This is a political attempt to defame the popular Congress government through ED’s medium,” he said.
The video was released by BJP’s central media convener Siddharthnath Singh at a press conference in New Delhi.
In the video, one Shubham Soni claimed, “I own the Mahadev app and Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal (alleged kingpins of the scam) are my advisors.”
Reacting to the video, Baghel said, “First of all, I do not know this person, nor have I ever met him in the way he is claiming. I can’t say if he was a part of any gathering or function.”
“Secondly, this person is claiming that he is the owner of ‘Mahadev App’. Surprisingly, even the ED, the agency which has been investigating this case for months, was not aware of this and till two days ago, the ED was calling him a manager,” he said, adding that the people of Chhattisgarh understand everything and are ready to give a befitting reply to the BJP and “its ally ED in the elections.”