Congress Accuses BJP of Using ED as a Political Tool
Congress Leader Criticizes BJP's Use of Enforcement Agencies
On Friday, Congress leader Pawan Khera expressed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) perceives the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Income Tax Department (IT), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as its personal army. He asserted that the ED conducts raids selectively in states where the BJP is not in power. Khera mentioned that whenever news of ED raids surfaces, it is evident that they are limited to specific states. He has consistently claimed that the BJP treats these agencies as its own militia, which poses a threat to democracy.
Support from Congress Spokesperson
In support of Khera's statements regarding the ED's raid on the I-PAC office in Kolkata, Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammad stated that the ED has become an extension of the central government. She criticized the agency for targeting only opposition parties, suggesting that the ED should have conducted simultaneous raids at all I-PAC offices across the country, rather than focusing solely on locations where opposition parties hold power.
TMC MPs Detained During Protest
Earlier on Friday, several MPs from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were detained while protesting outside the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital, in response to the ED's raid on the Kolkata-based I-PAC office. The MPs accused the investigative agency of being misused. TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Shatabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and others rallied outside Shah's office, chanting slogans against the minister.
Political Tensions Rise in West Bengal
This incident follows allegations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the ED's raid on I-PAC offices in connection with a coal smuggling case. Banerjee claimed that the central agency seized party-related materials, including hard drives, candidate lists, and strategic documents, which also contained data related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. She accused Amit Shah of misusing central agencies for political gain.