INDIA bloc leaders call on EC, allege Centre’s misuse of probe agencies
A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, a delegation of leaders of the INDIA bloc parties approached the Election Commission (EC) alleging “unrelenting, blatant and illegal deployment of Central Agencies” by the ruling BJP to stifle the Opposition parties.
In a memorandum submitted to the EC, the INDIA bloc leaders submitted a list of recent instances of Central agencies targeting Opposition parties and alleged an absence of a level playing field. The leaders also suggested that the poll panel should change the heads of the investigation agencies during the election to ensure fair play.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “We pointed out this is not a normal complaint, it is a larger issue of effecting, impairing, undermining, and sabotaging the basic structure of the Indian constitution.
He said in 75 years of Indian history, no party of whatever colour, including BJP, ever thought of arresting a sitting Chief Minister. “Every party of this political structure standing here has been harassed, raided and arrested, why? All virtues are in this pocket, all the vices on this side? Or are you blind?” he said.
Besides Singhvi, Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal, Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien and Nadimul Haque, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, AAP leaders Sandeep Pathak and Pankaj Gupta, Nationalist Congress PartySP leader Jitendra Awhad, DMK’s P. Wilson and Javed Ali of the SP were part of the delegation.
While the JMM, RJD and Shiv Sena (UBT) could not send anyone, the Opposition leaders said all parties supported the memorandum. Mr. Singhvi said the delegation was activated late last night following Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest.
The delegation shared a list of 10 incidents of cases and raids against Opposition leaders by Central agencies since January this year. The instances included CBI registering an FIR against Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra, raids and arrest of leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, raids against and arrest of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav’s aide, arrest of Hemant Soren, and freezing of Congress’s accounts.