ED searches 17 locations linked to Congress MLA Amba Prasad in Jharkhand
Searches related to alleged land scam and money laundering; Prasad is also among Congress probables for LS poll from Hazaribagh; attempt to demoralise Opposition, says mother
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at 17 locations linked to Congress MLA Amba Prasad in Jharkhand, including her official residence in Ranchi and the premises of her relatives. The searches were related to an alleged land scam and money laundering.
Ms. Prasad’s mother Nirmala Devi was present at the native house in Hazaribagh when the agency conducted the search there; her father Yogendra Sao had gone to Delhi. Both parents were once MLAs of the Congress and represented the Barkagaon Assembly seat, same as Ms. Prasad. Ms. Devi expressed her pain over the ED action and said her daughter should leave politics, calling it dirty.
“Nobody is at home, my daughter is in Ranchi and husband has gone to Delhi. In fact, I no longer like politics and even asked my daughter not to contest elections. Politics is dirty now and it destroys people. I have suffered for 10 years in politics. I have seen how it destroys the house. When I was in politics, I hardly used to give time at my house,” she said.
She also said the ED search was an attempt to demoralise the Opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha poll. “This is election year and this practice is being used to demoralise us,” she added.
Ms. Prasad is also among Congress probables for the Lok Sabha poll from Hazaribagh. The firsttime MLA is a good orator and has been very active in politics especially after her aide Bitka Bawari was shot dead by unidentified miscreants last year. On the occasion of International Women’s Day in 2022, she arrived at the Assembly on horseback. She had said that the horse was gifted by Colonel (retired) Ravi Rathore.
During the searches, the ED officials seized the mobile phone of all the staff and nobody was allowed to go outside the house. Ms. Prasad, who was present at her official residence, stepped out only once and showed the victory sign to the media and her supporters.