Sibal Questions ED’s Election-Time Raids: ‘Why Only Opposition Leaders?
Kapil Sibal questions ED's actions against opposition leaders timed with elections.
Independent MP and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal on Saturday raised concerns over the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) actions against opposition leaders during election periods. Speaking at a press conference, he questioned why the ED seems to step up operations only when elections are imminent, citing recent raids in West Bengal and past actions in Jharkhand and Bihar.
Sibal specifically referenced the ED’s raids on political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its chief, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata on Thursday in connection with a coal smuggling case. He alleged that the raids were politically motivated and claimed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was obstructing the seizure of “key” documents.
Noting historical context, Sibal said that during the UPA government (2004-2014), the ED was not given free rein to prosecute political opponents based on unverified information. He added that the probe agency now appears “omnipresent,” with powers that could undermine the federal structure by targeting opposition leaders and destabilizing their governments.
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The former minister highlighted the broader trend of ED interventions during elections. He recalled Jharkhand and Bihar, where the agency’s investigations disrupted opposition leaders’ election campaigns, including Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav, creating logistical challenges and political pressure during crucial voting periods.
Sibal also criticized the lack of Supreme Court intervention in pending review petitions on the jurisdiction of probe agencies. He warned that continued unchecked actions could erode India’s federal structure and called for urgent judicial scrutiny to prevent misuse of investigative powers against political opponents.
Addressing the ongoing West Bengal raids, Sibal demanded clarity from the ED on its objectives, asserting that the documents being targeted had no clear connection to the coal smuggling case. He accused the agency of deliberately creating disturbances to weaken the Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee, emphasizing that “the ED is this government’s God and can do anything,” alongside similar powers exercised by the CBI.
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