Mahadev App: Centre didn't receive any letter seeking ban, says Union Minister Chandrasekhar

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar rejects Congress' claim that Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel had first raised demand to ban Mahadev App. Alleges Baghel govt. deliberately stretched investigation to take out ₹508 crore. ED claims ₹508 crore paid to Baghel, he denies.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on November 6 rejected the Congress' claim that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had first raised the demand to ban the controversial Mahadev App months ago but the Centre failed to act.

Mr. Chandrasekhar alleged that Congress is creating a "new story" claiming to have written to the Centre two months back only in the wake of the disclosure that those who run this app have paid ₹508 crore.

Hitting back at Congress, the MoS for Electronics and Information Technology alleged the Baghel government deliberately stretched the investigation for one-and-a-half years as they wanted to take out ₹508 crore from the betting app.

Notably, the Centre on November 5 issued blocking orders against the Mahadev app and Reddyannaprestopro along with 20 other illegal betting platforms at the request of the Enforcement Directorate.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on November 6 said the Enforcement Directorate has been investigating the Mahadev app case for several months but it was "surprising" that it took so much time to ban it.

"The demand to ban the Mahadev App was also first raised by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on August 24, 2023. Instead of praising him, the Prime Minister deployed ED against him," Ramesh alleged.

The Union Minister is "clearly lying" about the fact that the Chhattisgarh government had not demanded a ban on the Mahadev app, the Congress alleged.