Durg (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 20 (ANI): Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Monday accused the Centre of denying him permission to meet his son, who is currently lodged in jail, during the festival of Diwali.

Speaking to ANI in Durg, Baghel alleged that his son's imprisonment was politically motivated and claimed that he was being denied basic visitation rights usually granted to prisoners during festivals.

'My son is in jail due to the grace of Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. Prisoners are allowed to meet their families during festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Eid, and Diwali. But I am not being allowed to meet my son this Diwali,' Baghel said.

The Congress leader further recalled that during previous governments, family visits on festive occasions were never restricted. 'Twenty years ago, when my father was in jail, the whole family met him during Diwali. But now, under Modi's government, such meetings are being denied,' he added.

Accusing the government of targeting his family for opposing industrial projects, Baghel said, 'Adani was cutting down trees in Tamnar. When I protested against it, my son was jailed. That's the only reason for his arrest.'

He also expressed frustration over what he described as a 'complete ban' on family meetings with his son, stating that even other relatives were not permitted to visit him. 'It is very unfortunate that in Chhattisgarh, family members are not allowed to meet their loved ones in jail during Diwali,' he said.

Baghel compared the current situation to earlier political arrests within his family. 'During the rule of Yogi Adityanath, my father was also arrested for a book I had written. Even then, we were not allowed to meet him in jail. It seems the same is happening now,' he remarked.

Earlier in the day, in a post on X, the Congress ledaer wrote, 'Two decades ago, Chief Minister Ajit Jogi had sent Babuji to jail. But on the day of Diwali, permission to meet him had been granted. By the grace of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the son is in jail. Today is Diwali, but I do not have permission to meet him. In any case, Diwali greetings to everyone.'

https://x.com/bhupeshbaghel/status/1980122538203398586

The former Chief Minister claimed that his son's detention was an act of political vendetta and called it an example of how dissent is being silenced.

On July 18, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the state, officials confirmed.(ANI)