Central agencies have been accused of targeting the opposition at the BJP’s behest.
New Delhi:
Amid the rising heat of the West Bengal Assembly poll campaign, The Central Burau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have issued a bunch of notifications to state officials allegedly related to various scams. They have been asked to appear for questioning next week. The ruling Trinamool Congress has called the summoning authorities the BJP’s “most trusted allies” for helping put pressure on political rivals, especially in poll season.
The ED has asked former Surajit Kar Purakayastha to appear before it next week in connection with the Saradha Chit Fund scam case. Mr Purakayastha, an IPS officer who retired in 2018, is now the State Security Advisor. The agency has also called in Gautam Sanyal, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in connection with the Metro Dairy Case. Another officer, Additional Chief Secretary BP Gopalika, too, has been summoned in the same case.
The CBI, meanwhile, has asked Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner Laxmi Narayan Meena to appear before it for questioning in the illegal coal mining case. IPS officer Partha Ghosh, too, has been summoned in the same context.
These instances, coming amid the heat of poll campaigning, is being viewed as an attempt to put pressure on the state administration.
Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien tweeted today saying, “Modi-Shah do not even bother to make a pretense of fair play.”
BJP is ally less. Now, the destructive party is even more brazen about using their three ‘most trusted allies’ (CBI, ED,IT) pre election. Carpet bombing opponents and keeping State admin under pressure. Modi-Shah do not even bother to make a pretense of fair play.
— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) March 20, 2021
Central agencies have been accused of targeting opposition leaders at the Central government’s behest, especially in poll-bound states.
Earlier this month, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had alleged that central investigative agencies had taken over the election campaign in the state. He said they were dancing to the BJP’s tunes.
The I-T department yesterday carried out raids in Tamil Nadu against people connected to Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam party.