Congress leader Pawan Khera addressing the media at AICC, in New Delhi on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
A day after the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested two Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for demanding a bribe of ₹15 lakh in a chit fund case, the Congress on Friday mounted a fresh offensive against the Narendra Modi government and accused it of using the ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax (I-T) department as “campaigners” and “frontline warriors” of the BJP.
Addressing a press conference, party leader Pawan Khera alleged that these agencies are given “targets” to scare Opposition leaders and make them join the ruling party.
“In Rajasthan, two ED officers have been caught red-handed taking a bribe of ₹15 lakh to hush up a chit fund case. The Modi government should make the rate list of the Enforcement Directorate public,” Mr. Khera said.
“If the rate list of small-level officers is ₹15 lakh, then what will be the rate of officers above them,” he wondered. The Congress leader alleged that the ED, CBI and the I-T department all are “government campaigners” of the BJP.
“They are given targets to scare the Opposition leaders and make them join the BJP. This is [Prime Minister] Modi ji‘s toolkit,” Mr. Khera added.
The Congress leader said his party wanted the investigating agencies to remain powerful and fearless.
“As long as the leaders are in the Opposition, they are corrupt… but as soon as they join BJP, they become clean. We want to tell the Modi government that you should strengthen these agencies, not make them helpless,” he said.