NEW DELHI: Stepping up attack on the Modi government over the alleged unleashing of central agencies against leaders of Opposition parties, Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said that the misuse of central agencies is so apparent that it doesn’t even require an argument in a court of law. In a post on micro-blogging site X, Chidambaram pointed out how four Congress candidates in the Telangana elections have either been summoned or their premises searched by investigating agencies in the middle of election campaign in the state.
“At least four Congress candidates in Telangana were summoned or their premises searched by the investigating agencies in the midst of the election campaign. One of them was the chairman of the BJP’s Manifesto Committee and had resigned from the BJP on November 1,” said the leader, adding that no BJP candidate has been searched by the agencies so far.
The Congress MP was referring to the raid by the enforcement directorate of former MP G Vivekanand, who had joined the Congress from BJP. Vivekanand is now contesting the assembly elections.
“It is obvious that all candidates of the BJP were chosen by the gods and carry divine blessings. In fact, if the BJP is elected, the party will take the people of Telangana straight to heaven,” he said.
Early this week, the ED attached properties worth `751.9 crore in connection with a money-laundering case against the Congress party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper. Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge described the move as “petty vendetta tactics” to “divert attention from a certain defeat” in the ongoing assembly elections.
“The misuse of the investigating agencies is so obvious that it does not require any argument in a court of law,” Chidamabaram added. Multiple raids of party leaders and ministers in poll-bound Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh had invited sharp protests from Congress and other Opposition leaders in the past few months.
In Rajasthan, the agencies have summoned Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son and party chief Govind Singh Dotasra, as well as independent MLA Om Prakash Hudla in connection with a money-laundering case. The ED has also made multiple arrests in Chhattisgarh in two separate cases. In Madhya Pradesh, the agency was probing an old case against Congress leader Kamal Nath’s nephew.
MORE ED CASES
In Rajasthan, the agencies summoned CM Ashok Gehlot’s son, party chief Govind Singh Dotasra, and independent MLA Om Prakash Hudla. The ED has made multiple arrests in Chhattisgarh in two cases. In Madhya Pradesh, it is probing an old case against Kamal Nath’s nephew.