Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) Chief Bhupesh Baghel received hero’s welcome by hundreds of enthusiastic party cadres after he stepped out of central jail on bail in a sleaze CD scandal involving a Cabinet Minister in Chhattisgarh Government.
Baghel was sent to 14-day judicial remand on September 24 by a Special CBI Court minutes after he was charge-sheeted by the investigating agency for his alleged role in distribution of the CDs. Hundreds of Congress workers thronged Central jail in evening hours and shouted noisy slogans and received Baghel to the tune of drum beat and took him to State party headquarters in a grand procession.
Party sources said Baghel was adamant not to seek bail but party central leadership messaged him though party in-charge for Chhattisgarh PL Punia that he was desperately required to lead the party from the front as crucial Assembly elections due in November.
Baghel reiterated after he came out from jail that the ruling BJP had been carrying out political vendetta against him as he belongs to the powerful OBC community. The BJP sees him a potential leader who could stop party’s winning streak in the mineral-rich state.
The BJP is in power for past 15 years and Congress is the main challenger to the saffron regime.
The CBI has made Kailash Murarka as the prime accused in the CD scandal in which PWD Minister Rajesh Munat has been shown in the compromising position. Murarka was a known BJP face in Raipur but party expelled him after the charge-sheet was filed.
Murarka had embarrassed the BJP on Wednesday and said Baghel had Rs nothing to do with the CD case’. He claimed that he had more CDs of several leaders and he would expose them in coming up weeks.