ED popular in Maharashtra as ‘Extortion Department’: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre for allegedly misusing the central investigation agencies to target Opposition party leaders not only in Maharashtra but across the country.

“The central agencies are being used by the BJP as a tool to attack, influence and coerce opposition leaders by cooking up false charges to topple governments and to switch sides to benefit the BJP,” she said.

She went on to say that the ED (Enforcement Directorate) had become popular in Maharashtra as the ‘Extortion Department.’

Ms. Chaturvedi also alleged that the BJP has become a ‘washing machine’ which washes away the sins of the tainted by merely joining hands with the party. “As much as 95% of the investigations against politicians by these agencies are targeted against opposition to silence them and destabilise democratic principles and constitutional morality of the nation,” she alleged.

Alleging ‘double standards’ by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, the Rajya Sabha member said that the former had stopped attacking Shiv Sena leaders like Pratap Sarnaik, Yadhwant Jadav, Bhavana Gawali and Arjun Khotkar after they joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s camp.

“Looking at Maharashtra, we have seen how rabble rouser Kirit Somaiya has been wheeled in to level charges, throw much against leaders of opposition through press conferences and tweets,” she said, sharing a list of tweets and media interactions by Mr. Somaiya against some leaders before and after they joined hands with Mr. Shinde.

Mr. Somaiya had also levelled allegations against Kripashankar Singh and Narayan Rane of corruption and money laundering worth Rs. 300 crore respectively. “Ever since they joined hands with the BJP, ‘Mr. Rabble Rouser’ had remained silent,” she said, adding that it clearly shows the strategy of the BJP – to actively use agencies in leaving the members of opposition parties with no option but to defect.

“The selective approach of the agencies is also surprising. While the ED is going after leaders like Hasan Mushrif, it has chosen to selectively maintain its silence against similar actions by BJP MLA Rahul Kul. It is equally surprising that Mr. Somaiya has been found tweeting crucial government documents which are not readily accessible to unrelated persons. This raises questions on the propriety of the process followed by the institutions,” Ms Chaturvedi said.

She alleged that the BJP has also been going around ‘brazenly’ with this method against honest and principled representatives and members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) such as former mayor Kishori Pederkar and former minister and MLC Anil Parab in order to build pressure on them.

“The observations of the Hon’ble Special Court against the ED, describing the arrest as illegal in the bail order of MP Sanjay Raut goes on to show the lack of merit in the investigations, which is further substantiated by the conviction rate as low as only 23 persons since 2014-15,” the MP added.

EOM/ABH