New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on October 8 said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) actions against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati appeared to be part of a "bigger plan" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition to "intimidate" the Opposition ahead of the crucial Assembly polls.

"These actions are only one-sided, politically motivated and by this the government appears to be indulging in arm-twisting of political opponents ahead of the elections," Gandhi told reporters at the "At Home" hosted by Air Chief S Krishnaswamy on the occasion of Air Force Day.

The Leader of the Opposition said that it was common knowledge that a number of ruling party leaders had owned large benami properties and asked, "Why no action has been initiated against them?"

On Jogi, the Congress president said there is a "deliberate design" to implicate him as the chargesheet has been filed against him just after the elections were announced.

Gandhi replied in the affirmative when asked if she thought that there was a political design in the actions by CBI against Jogi and Mayawati.

Reacting to the threat by Defence Minister George Fernandes to sue her for raising the coffin controversy, Gandhi alleged that government was not coming clean on Defence scandals.

"When we raise these issues of vital importance to the country, the self-proclaimed defenders of truth are trying to intimidate us. They do not want the truth to come out," she added.

PTI