Ravish Kumar discusses the increasing number of raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) departments in Chhattisgarh, targeting the state government and its officials. He questions whether the ED is specifically targeting the state government and if these actions are politically motivated. Kumar also highlights the lack of raids in Madhya Pradesh, a neighboring state with a BJP government, and suggests that the ED is being used as a tool to harass opposition leaders.
Kumar also reports on the raids conducted by the ED in other states, such as Jharkhand, and the harassment of journalists who are critical of the government. He mentions the case of Mandeep Punia, a journalist whose Twitter account was suspended, and Shishir Shukla, a journalist who was charged with an FIR for reporting on the sale of government-provided books as junk.
Furthermore, Kumar discusses the investigation of a research paper by the Intelligence Department and the order issued by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate "negative news" that tarnishes the state's image. He argues that these actions are a threat to freedom of speech and the press.
Kumar also criticizes the media for not holding the government accountable for its actions, citing the example of Dainik Jagran's false report on a surgical strike against Pakistan, which was not followed up with any consequences.
Overall, Kumar's report suggests that the government is using its agencies to silence opposition voices and suppress critical reporting, and that the media is not doing enough to hold the government accountable.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) Department have raided various departments in Chhattisgarh, including the Excise Department, Minerals Department, Transport Department, GST Bhawan, and Labour Department.
2. ED raids have been conducted in multiple districts of Chhattisgarh, including Raipur, Durg, Dhamtari, Korba, Bhilai, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Kawardha, Jagdalpur, and Mahasamund.
3. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's Political Advisor Vinod Verma and two OSDs, Ashish Verma and Manish Banchore, have been raided by the ED.
4. Businessman Vijay Bhatia, who is close to the state government, has also been raided by the ED.
5. PM Modi tweeted birthday wishes to CM Bhupesh Baghel on August 23, the same day the ED raided Baghel's Political Advisor and OSDs.
6. CM Baghel has accused the ED of targeting his government and has stated that the ED raids are a form of harassment.
7. The ED has raided the homes of multiple IAS officers in Chhattisgarh, including Sameer Vishnoi and Ranu Sahu.
8. The ED has also raided the homes of multiple Congress leaders and MLAs in Chhattisgarh, including Devendra Yadav, Chandradev Rai, and Agni Chandrakar.
9. The Chhattisgarh government has challenged the Constitutional validity of the Money Laundering Act in the Supreme Court under Article 131.
10. The Court has accepted the petition and has directed the ED to stay away from the alleged Rs. 2000 crore liquor scam.
11. An Intelligence Department team has reached Ashoka University to investigate a research paper, according to a report by The Wire.
12. Journalist Mandeep Punia's Twitter account has been closed, and he has accused the Government of India of shutting it down.
13. An FIR has been lodged against journalist Shishir Shukla in Lakhimpuri Kheri, UP, for reporting on a video showing books given by the government for poor kids being sold as junk.
14. The Uttar Pradesh government has issued an order instructing district administration officers to investigate "negative news" that tarnishes the state or district administration's image.
15. Dainik Jagran published a false report of an Indian "surgical strike" on Pakistan, which was denied by the Army spokesperson and the PIB.
16. The report was published on August 22, but it disappeared from the front page the next day, and the newspaper did not publish a follow-up report.
17. The Army spokesperson and the PIB have denied the report, but the journalist who wrote the story, Gagan Kohli, has claimed that his news is 101 percent correct and that he has photos and videos to prove it.