TFP Bureau, Raipur, July 20, 2025: In a state-wide show of dissent, the Congress party on Saturday staged protests across all districts of Chhattisgarh, burning effigies of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the BJP government. The protest was held in response to the arrest of Chaitanya Baghel, son of Congress National General Secretary and former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Alleging political vendetta, Congress leaders accused the BJP-led central government of misusing the ED to suppress the opposition. “The Enforcement Directorate is no longer functioning as an independent agency. Its officials are acting like BJP workers, abandoning the impartiality expected of government officers,” said a party spokesperson during the protests.
Effigy burnings and demonstrations were reported in major districts including Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Bastar, Jagdalpur, Korba, Raigarh, Surguja, Kanker, and Dantewada, among others. Protesters raised slogans against the central government and ED, accusing them of targeting political opponents under the guise of investigations.
The arrest of Chaitanya Baghel has sparked strong reactions from Congress leadership, which has termed the action as “malicious” and “undemocratic.” The party claimed that such moves are part of a larger attempt by the BJP to intimidate opposition leaders ahead of upcoming electoral contests.
In Raipur and several other cities, large crowds gathered to burn effigies and voice their anger. Congress leaders said the protests would continue until the “misuse of central agencies is stopped and democratic values are restored.”
