Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot calls ED officers “kutte” (dogs) in protest against central agency

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was referred to as "kutte" (dogs) by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on multiple occasions during the Congress's large-scale demonstration against the central agency on Friday in Jaipur.

Gehlot's frequent use of the term "kutte" revealed his distress over what the Congress regarded as a diabolical plot to undermine the party's campaign in the election-bound state, even though he was just citing Bhupesh Baghel, the chief minister of Chhattisgarh. Declaring that "the countdown to Narendra Modi's ouster had begun," Gehlot expressed his anger.

The chief minister of Chhattisgarh stated that there are more ED officers on the loose than stray dogs, according to Gehlot. When a chief minister uses such language, it demonstrates his extreme agony. The ED is harassing him virtually every day. It must have seemed forced out of him to say this.

Gehlot's tone and point of contention seemed to confirm what Baghel had stated.

When questioned in Raipur about the BJP's assertion that Congress leaders were afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Baghel said, "Yes, we are afraid of Modi because he puts everybody in jail." This was roughly three weeks ago. Journalists are thrown into jail. It is not possible to find as many ED-IT officials prowling around colonies as there are cats and dogs. Kutte-billi utna nahin ghoomte mohallon mein jitna ED-IT waale ghoom rahe hain.

The BJP questioned Baghel's words, despite the fact that he did not refer to ED officials as "dogs and cats" directly.

According to former Union minister Ravishankar Prasad, "ED will come if you indulge in corruption." Don't plunder state resources if you don't want to see ED-IT. What language is the chief minister speaking in?

However, Baghel hasn't recanted his claims that ED agents moved to Raipur in order to regularly harass Congress politicians. At a public rally on Thursday, he declared: "There is a Vishwaguru, and in his hands are income tax and ED-CBI." Rajasthan is now experiencing raids. They've grown weary of robbing businesspeople and Congress leaders here. They are more common in every gully and mohalla in Raipur, Durg, Bhilai, Bilaspur, and Korba than cats and dogs. However, no one was afraid; officials, businesspeople, and employees of Congress were all hounded, but no one became afraid.

State unit chairman Govind Singh Dotasara, who was searched by the ED on Thursday, stated during a protest by the Congress outside the ED office in Jaipur: "The BJP leaders have been saying for the last two months that the election will become so colourful that Dotasara won't be able to contest." They fear nothing. When a campaign is underway, what use is there for raids? I will prevail even if they put me in jail.”

Gehlot expressed his happiness if the ED pursued offenders and tightened its enforcement against money laundering. However, he added, "they are now political tools." The CBI, ED, and income tax are all moving in unison with the administration. They solely have opposition leaders in their sights. All the taint disappears if a corrupt individual gains access to the BJP washing machine. Everybody in the nation is observing," he declared.

Gehlot had said on Thursday that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's two promises—Rs 10,000 annually for the female head of the household and Rs 500 for a gas cylinder for the impoverished—were the reason the BJP pushed the ED's entry into Rajasthan. He expanded the benefit package's scope by adding a few extra guarantees. These consist of free laptops for college students and English-medium school children upon request, as well as insurance up to Rs 15 lakh against natural disasters.