Raipur: Former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with the Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam. Lakhma arrived at the ED office around 11:00 am on Friday and was interrogated until 8:00 pm. During the nine-hour questioning, ED officials sought documents related to his wife, daughter, and elder son.
After the session, Lakhma stated that nothing was conclusively proved during the investigation. When asked if he was pressured to name others, he responded, "Whatever was discussed inside, it’s not appropriate to make it public now. The law has to be respected. Congress is a law-abiding party, and I am its member."
Lakhma further criticised the BJP, claiming, "I was punished for raising the voice of Bastar. I fought for the poor people of Bastar during the four-day assembly session and even during Salwa Judum. Bastar is not safe now. I am a poor tribal, and I have a constitution for the tribals in the assembly. I raised my voice, and the BJP got angry, implicating me in this case to harass me. I will fight for the truth till the end, as long as I am alive, and continue fighting for the tribals of Bastar."
Lakhma also posed questions to the ED about the investigation, saying, "I don’t know if there was a scam; I am not admitting to the scam, but an investigation is going on. Some officers are involved, and the liquor is fake, second-grade liquor being sold. Why is action not being taken against the liquor manufacturing company? An investigation should be conducted against them."
