PM Modi denies oppn’s accusations of probe agency misuse: ‘We don’t direct ED’
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The arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren has sparked a political discourse between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and the INDIA bloc, a multi-party political alliance including Congress, AAP, CPI(M) and others.
Top INDIA leaders have accused the BJP of misusing the central agencies by registering cases against opposition leaders ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Calling it a ‘washing machine’ party, they stated that if the opposition leader joins the BJP, then the case against him will be closed.
Also Read: Katchatheevu row: PM Modi calls out DMK’s ‘double standard’, says ‘…did nothing to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an interview with Tamil Nadu-based Thanthi TV on Sunday, refuted the allegations and said that the central agencies function independently. “We don’t direct them (agencies).
PM Modi stressed, “We neither obstruct nor direct their actions. They work independently, and this is evaluated by the scales of the judiciary.”
PM further stressed that the ED is handling approximately 7000 cases, with less than 3% of them related to politicians. “During their (the opposition) 10-year rule, the amount of money seized was only ₹35 lakh. On the other hand, we have seized ₹2200 crore,” Modi stated.
Also Read: PM Modi lauds ED’s resolute fight against corruption: ‘Zero tolerance towards corruption…’
Regarding the opposition’s accusations that enforcement agencies were targeting individuals not affiliated with the ruling BJP, the Prime Minister asserted that the ED follows the same procedure to initiate a case, “irrespective of the ruling party in power.”
“Regardless of the party, the process is the same. The ED cannot initiate any case on its own; various department need to file the cases first, then the ED takes action. The PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) law has existed since before, but they (opposition) did not use it. Over 150 court cases were filed to exempt the PMLA law, and they even went to the Supreme Court to remove or retain an officer. They used the judiciary as a weapon because they know Modi’s actions against corruption won’t stop. They think they can stop these organisations through the courts,” he remarked.
Also Read: From EC intervention in ED-CBI raids to release of Soren and Kejriwal – Priyanka Gandhi shares 5 demands of INDIA bloc
On January 31, the former Jharkhand chief minister, Hemant Soren, was detained by the ED in relation to alleged land mining scandal. Subsequently, on March 21, the ED arrested the Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, in connection with a case involving the excise policy.
Political parties from various backgrounds have criticized the Enforcement Directorate’s arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to the excise policy, labelling it as “violative of the spirit of democracy”.
(With inputs from agenices
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Published: 01 Apr 2024, 10:42 AM IST
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