Taking exception to the way that Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Tamil Nadu’s Electricity, Prohibition and Excise Minister V. Senthilbalaji in the early hours of Wednesday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president M. Mallikarjun Kharge has said that the BJP government at the Centre is harassing and threatening its political rivals.
Speaking to media representatives in Kalaburagi on Wednesday, Mr. Kharge said that the Union government is misusing institutions such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate to harass and threaten people.
“What was the need to arrest Senthilbalaji in the night? He was not of the nature of those running away from the law. He was not one who will cover his face. He is a reputed man. He is a good Minister of the DMK [Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]. What was the need to arrest such a man at night? If he had done something wrong, he could have been questioned the next morning. You [the Union government] are getting the CBI to raid his residence and office and also getting him arrested by ED at night, I will condemn it,” Mr. Kharge said.
He said that the BJP government at the Centre is attempting to threaten and suppress the DMK government in Tamil Nadu by misusing institutions such as the CBI and ED.
“The BJP government at the Centre is misusing CBI and ED to such an extent that they have become instruments to topple governments and install governments,” he said.
Mr. Kharge also exuded the confidence of winning the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya by adopting the guarantee strategy that the Congress adopted in Karnataka.
“In Madhya Pradesh, we have already announced our five guarantees. The atmosphere is good and the Congress will get an impressive majority there. In Rajasthan also, we are ahead [of the other political parties]. We will also win Chhattisgarh,” he said.
Mr. Kharge held the Union government responsible for the widespread violence in Manipur.
“The Union government is responsible for the violence in Manipur. If it had been controlled before it spread, the loss of lives and property could have been prevented. Now, relief and rehabilitation work has also been hit,” he said.
