The Enforcement Directorate and the income-tax department on Thursday conducted raids and searches on Opposition politicians in four states, including Bengal, prompting allegations of a “witch-hunt”.
The properties raided included those belonging to DMK parliamentarian S. Jagathrakshakan, Bengal food and supplies minister Rathin Ghosh of Trinamul, Karnataka Congress leader R.M. Manjunath Gowda and Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA Maganti Gopinath.
Earlier this week, the Delhi police — who report to the Centre — had raided news portal NewsClick and associated journalists, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, prompting the Opposition to reiterate its longstanding accusation against the Narendra Modi government of misusing its agencies to intimidate critics and political opponents.
Income-tax officials on Thursday conducted searches at over 20 locations in Chennai linked to Jagathrakshakan in connection with alleged tax evasion. Jagathrakshakan is Lok Sabha member from the Arakonnam constituency of Tamil Nadu.
Sources said the residence of the former Union minister, a medical college and a business establishment were among the properties searched.
“Jagathrakshakan has businesses in the health, education and hospitality sectors. The searches are still continuing,” an income-tax official said.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin wrote on X: “The Union BJP Government’s vindictive politics knows no bounds! Arresting AAP MP Sanjay Singh and raiding DMK MP Jagathrakshakan’s home are clear examples of their misuse of independent investigating agencies for political ends against INDIA bloc leaders.”
Sanjay Singh was arrested in connection with a money-laundering case related to the Delhi government’s now-shelved excise policy case.
“This deliberate persecution of opposition leaders is an assault on democracy. The BJP conveniently forgets that the Supreme Court has just warned the ED to be transparent and fair. But it seems they are hell-bent on disregarding the rule of law and democracy,” Stalin wrote on X.
The Supreme Court has said the ED cannot act out of vindictiveness and make arbitrary arrests under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and laid down that the central agency would have to provide the accused with written grounds for the arrest.
“The BJP is clearly afraid of the growing unity among opposition parties. It’s time they stop their witch-hunt and focus on addressing the real issues. #StopPoliticalVendetta,” Stalin wrote.
The ED on Thursday raided several properties in and around Calcutta, including the residence of Ghosh, as part of a probe into an alleged recruitment scam in the Madhyamgram municipality.
ED sources said Ghosh used to be chairman of the municipality and stood accused of involvement in the appointment of ineligible candidates to government jobs.
The raids have come within days of Trinamul holding protests in Delhi accusing the Centre of stopping the release of funds to Bengal under schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
The ED also raided several properties linked to Gowda as part of a probe into an alleged scam at the Shivamogga District Cooperative Central Bank. Gowda, considered close to Karnataka deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar, is chairman of the bank.
Sources said the properties raided included Gowda’s residence in Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district and the home of one of his relatives in Bangalore.
Income-tax officials conducted searches at multiple Hyderabad premises linked to Gopinath, including his residence, office and other properties, sources said.
The nature and purpose of the searches have not been officially revealed yet. An official, however, said the searches were connected to financial irregularities.
