Congress's Pawan Khera accuses the BJP of using the ED, I-T, and CBI as its 'private army' to target opposition-ruled states, a claim backed by TMC protests over an ED raid on I-PAC's office in Kolkata.
Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday said that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) thinks of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department (I-T), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as its personal army.
'Harmful for Democracy': Opposition Slams Centre
He claimed that the ED only conduct raids in selected states, which are not led by the BJP. "The moment we see a news flash about an ED raid, we know it has happened in a select few states only. We have been saying that the BJP thinks of the ED, I-T and CBI as its private army. This is harmful for democracy..." he said.
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed, while speaking about ED's raid on I-PAC office in Kolkata, backed Khera's claim, saying that the ED has become an arm of the central government. "ED has become an arm of the present central government. They only go after the opposition parties. I-PAC has offices all over India as they work for different political parties, including alliance parties of the present government... They should have sent ED to all I-PAC offices in one go, not just where there is an opposition party ruling..." she said.
TMC MPs Protest in Delhi, Allege Misuse of ED
Earlier, several Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs were detained in the national capital on Friday for protesting outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the I-PAC office in Kolkata, alleging misuse of the probe agency by the centre.
TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Satabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and others protested outside Amit Shah's office in Delhi, raising slogans against the minister.
Raid Sparks Confrontation in Kolkata
This comes after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee allegedly interfered during an ED raid at the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC in connection with the coal smuggling case. Banerjee alleged that the central agency had seized party-related materials, including hard disks, candidate lists and strategic documents, including data linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She accused Amit Shah of misusing central agencies.
ED Accuses CM Banerjee of Removing Evidence
Countering the Chief Minister's allegations, the ED accused Mamata Banerjee of entering the residential premises of Prateek Jain, director of I-PAC, during the ongoing search operation and taking away "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices.
"Banerjee entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain and took away key evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices," the ED said, adding that her convoy then proceeded to I-PAC's office, from where "Ms Banerjee, her aides and the state police personnel forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidence."
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