After ED raids in NE, Gaurav, Himanta trade charges

Guwahati, Apr 26 (PTI) Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi traded charges on social media on Saturday over ED findings that illegal rat hole quarrying was being "rampantly" done in Meghalaya and a "syndicate" with people from both states ensured that trucks containing illegal coal cleared the borders of Meghalaya and entered into Assam.

Gogoi said the ED has "exposed" the illegal coal empire in Assam, leading the chief minister to question why a Congress leader is quoting ED findings as the opposition party has been "relentlessly maligning" the agency by calling it a "political tool".

The Congress leader's statement came after the ED carried out searches on Thursday at 15 premises located in Assam and Meghalaya as part of a money laundering investigation linked to alleged illegal coal mining and running of coke plants.

"ED exposes Assam's illegal coal empire! Rs 1.58 crore cash seized. Fake invoices. 1200 tonnes of illegal coal extracted DAILY in Margherita, Jogighopa, Guwahati. All under the nose of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who kept denying illegal mining!" Gogoi wrote on X.

He alleged the coal mafia paid Rs 1.27-Rs 1.5 lakh per truck to clear borders and the coal depots in Assam used to launder crime as "legal mining". "15 sites raided, syndicate links confirmed between Meghalaya & Assam," the Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha wrote.

"Is this loot possible without the government's protection? Who is Assam's real Syndicate Raja? When ED raids & HC summons expose the truth, how long will the CM hide behind denials? Dispur must answer. People of Assam demand accountability," he said.

The ED Friday said despite a ban on mining in Meghalaya, illegal rat hole quarrying was being "rampantly" done under "inhuman" conditions in the state and searches conducted by it found that about 1,200 tonne of coal through such means was being excavated daily.

The agency said it found that a "syndicate" having people from Meghalaya and Assam as in-charge ensured that trucks containing illegal coal cleared the borders of Meghalaya and entered into Assam. Documents were prepared to show this load as legally mined coal, it said.

The syndicate used to charge Rs 1.27 lakh-Rs 1.5 lakh per truck from the mine owners in the name of "commission" in cash, the ED said.

The illegally mined coal was stored at depots located at Jogighopa, Assam. Thereafter it was transported to different industries like cement manufacturing, brick kilns, iron and steel industry and illegal coke plants, according to the ED.

Some part of the illegally mined coal, the agency added, was directly transported to the unregulated coke plants from a depot in the northeastern region.

Sharing Gogoi's post, Sarma wrote on the micro-blogging site that the "doublespeak" on ED reflects "utter confusion and hypocrisy within Congress".

"The Congress party today stands thoroughly exposed on the issue of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). On one hand, @RahulGandhi and his camp are relentlessly maligning the ED, calling it a political tool. On the other hand, their own Deputy Leader is busy glorifying the very same agency," he wrote.

This "doublespeak reflects the utter confusion and hypocrisy within Congress" and is "in contrast, our position is principled and unwavering — we support all investigating agencies, regardless of whether their actions favour us or go against us," Sarma added.

Countering the chief minister, who is also the convenor of a conglomerate of BJP and its allies in North East, National Democratic Alliance (NEDA), Gogoi maintained that Sarma has "sidestepped" the main issues.

"The chief minister hurriedly sidesteps the issue of illegal mining in Assam -Meghalaya. Isn’t he the NEDA chief ?" questioned the Congress MP from this northeastern state in another post on X.

Gogoi further asked, "Who is responsible for protecting the syndicate? Will the Chief Minister ask the state police to arrest those who are politically important people and connected to the coal syndicate? Who is the MLA in Margherita ?" If these questions are not addressed, ED will mean "Extortion Department", he said.

"And similar to electoral bonds scam these raids are being done to collect party funds for elections. Rumours also indicate that someone in Guwahati is unhappy because the Dispur tax was not paid," Gogoi added. PTI SSG ACB ZMN SSG RG

Source: PTI