New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) After the Supreme Court questioned the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED’s) conduct in politically sensitive cases, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday accused the BJP-led central government of turning probe agencies into “tools” for “crushing” the opposition.
The remarks by the apex court came as it upheld the Karnataka High Court’s decision to quash the case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.
Cautioning against the agency being used as a tool in political battles, a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai said, “Let political battles be fought before the electorate. Why are you being used?” Addressing a press conference, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly Atishi claimed that the Supreme Court’s remarks have once again “exposed” the ED’s role as a “political tool” for the BJP.
“From defying court orders to reviving dead cases before elections, the agency’s pattern of targeting Opposition leaders shows clear misuse of power, driven by vendetta, not justice,” the former Delhi chief minister charged.
There was no immediate reaction from the BJP or ED to the charges.
Explaining the Karnataka case, the AAP leader said, “In this particular case, the ED issued summons to the wife of Karnataka’s chief minister. When those summons were challenged, the Karnataka High Court quashed them. Despite that, the ED still went to the Supreme Court against the high court’s order.” Referring to the comments by the apex court, she said it is not the first instance where such remarks have been made for the central agencies.
“When the Supreme Court granted bail to (AAP supremo and former Delhi CM) Arvind Kejriwal, it had made equally sharp remarks, comparing these agencies to a ‘caged parrot’ and stating that his arrest was driven by political malice. Time and again, the Supreme Court has expressed concerns over the ED and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) being used for political purposes,” she said.
Atishi said AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was arrested, followed by several other AAP leaders in the excise policy case.
“Yet, the agencies have failed to produce any proceeds of crime. The same was done with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and present Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, with TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee and with the entire RJD leadership before the Bihar elections. The BJP’s central government is running a deliberate conspiracy, using the ED to file cases against every opposition leader and harass them one after the other,” she alleged.
Atishi said it is now evident that the ED arrests individuals fully knowing that bail is not easily granted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), thus, effectively keeping them in jail.
Once the Supreme Court intervenes and grants bail, the cases are put in cold storage until the next election cycle, she said, adding that these cases are revived to target opposition leaders as elections approach. PTI SLB KSS KSS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.