BENGALURU: Extending support to PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, cabinet ministers and senior Congress leaders have launched a sharp attack on the Union government, accusing it of using central agencies, including the CBI, Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate (ED), as political puppets.
Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the ED raids on Jarkiholi and his family were politically motivated. He pointed to the ED’s track record, stating that between 2015-16 and February 2025, it registered 193 cases against political leaders and those affiliated with opposition parties, but secured only two convictions. He questioned whether the agencies were genuinely fighting corruption or being used as political weapons.
“Raids, summons, arrests, primetime headlines and political mudslinging and after nearly a decade? Just two convictions,’’ he posted on X.
Minister T Raghumurthy said central investigative agencies are increasingly being weaponised against leaders of political parties opposed to the BJP.
KPCC president BK Hariprasad said the raids are a blatant misuse of central investigative agencies for political vendetta. “This is nothing new for us as since 2014, targeting Congress leaders has been a regular feature of the incompetent central government.
The message is clear: opposition leaders are targeted, raided and harassed, while the ruling establishment remains untouched. The ED must be an institution of law, not a puppet of the Central government,’’ he said.
AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the politically motivated witch hunt unleashed by the Modi government against Congress leaders is a stale story that will never deter or intimidate them.
“Over the last three years, the list of witch hunts by a decisively decimated BJP/Janata Dal tells its own tale. There was ED raid on (Chief Minister) DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh, former CM Siddaramaiah, DCM G Parameshwara, minister Zameer Ahmed, MP Tukaram, MLA NA Haris and others. All this while sanction for prosecution against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, BJP leader MP Renukacharya and MLA Janardhan Reddy remains pending before the Governor,’’ he said.
