In the wake of IT raids on the premises of Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and other senior officials of the state government, Congress party on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming raids as a violation of cooperative federalism espoused by him.

“Mr Modi is talking about cooperative federalism but they are actually doing coercive centrism,” All India Congress Committee (AICC) communication in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said here during an interaction with media persons here.

The Congress leader took strong exception of the use of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel during raids. “The use of CRPF in such a manner without the prior approval of the State government violates not only the constitutional scheme of federalism but it is an attack on democracy itself,” he said adding, “We as a country have become familiar with these tactics over the last five-and-a-half years but Modi-Shah duo in its eagerness and desperation to intimidate has done the nation huge disservice.”

Surjewala charged the BJP, which ruled Chattisgarh before the Congress party came to power there last year, with trying to cover up the past ‘misdeeds’ of the then BJP CM Raman Singh. He took strong exception to IT raids that had been going on since last Thursday besides Baghel, on his deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia.

Seeking to take on the ruling BJP led NDA government at the Centre, the Congress leader referred to an alleged Rs 36,000 crore PDS scam that had come to light through a diary. He alleged that the money was sent to BJP’s Delhi office and Nagpur.

“A PDS scam worth Rs. 36,000 crore broke out in Chattisgarh earlier. The diary that accidentally came to the police possession contained details of the scam. The Congress party leader Bhupesh Baghel, TS Singh Deo, and I put it before you,” Surjewala said.

Surjewala also accused the erstwhile BJP government of robbing the state. The ‘entire province was robbed and in a first, in the Panama Papers the name of former chief minister Raman Singh’s son and BJP MP Abhishek Singh was exposed but Modi ji ordered no probe,” he charged.