Top Opposition leaders believe politics is being artificially restructured by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during Narendra Modi’s regime even though he boasts of a spotless tenure as the Prime Minister and the chief minister of Gujarat.

Since rumours of Congress veteran Kamal Nath’s plan to join the BJP dominated political discourse soon after former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan crossed over, many INDIA leaders grudged that the Opposition collectively did not do enough to expose the misuse of ED over the years. “Even Kamal Nath? Those who have been members of Parliament eight-nine times and even the chief minister are quitting in the midst of such a critical battle? What else we are doomed to see?” said a senior Opposition leader, lamenting that apolitical factors had begun to influence political dynamics in a big way.

Investigative agencies becoming a big instrument of political manipulation was the hottest topic at a lunch hosted by Congress leader and top lawyer Abhishek Singhvi on Sunday afternoon. One key leader of INDIA said: “If PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) is struck down, nobody will join the BJP. Even many disgruntled BJP leaders will quit the BJP and some even may launch their own party. Politics of fear has overtaken India.”

One leader pointed out that the amendments made to the PMLA in 2019 had armed the ED with unbridled powers of summons, arrest, raids, and attachment of property and made bail nearly impossible while shifting the burden of proof of innocence onto the accused rather than the prosecution. “The ED could arrest a person even without informing him of the charges. This power, violative of the right to ‘due process’ enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution, was used by the BJP to alter the political dynamics,” this leader said, explaining how only the Opposition leaders were being selectively hounded.

Leaders like Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal were present at the lunch. Kejriwal asserted that he was keen to have an alliance with the Congress in Delhi as the BJP cannot be defeated without both the parties coming together. The AAP had earlier declared that the Congress does not deserve a single seat in Delhi but it was willing to offer one of the seven seats because of coalition dharma.

Kejriwal, who is being tormented by the ED, said the AAP and the Congress had decided through mutual understanding to fight against each other in Punjab because they did not want a situation in which the entire Opposition space goes to the BJP. Another leader said, “You don’t even imagine any kind of justice in Gujarat. Every organ of the administration is under the BJP control and even the judiciary has given up,” this leader said, wondering how the Supreme Court mustered the courage to deliver the electoral bond verdict.

The electoral bond verdict has, however, emboldened the Opposition to expect more from the Supreme Court. One Rajya Sabha MP told The Telegraph: “On the surface, three major threats clouded the sanctity of electoral process in India — electoral bonds, EVMs and blatant misuse of religion in elections. Now that the electoral bonds are struck out, the Supreme Court should provide a remedy for the EVMs and merger of religion and politics.”

Pointing out that Balasaheb Thackeray was disenfranchised for six years for a much lesser crime than what Modi and Amit Shah are doing, one leader said: “Can the Supreme Court ignore how the Election Commission kept quiet when the Prime Minister appealed to the people to vote thinking of Bajrang Bali to punish the Congress? How come the BJP governments are taking people from the states ruled by them to Ayodhya for ‘darshan’ of Ram Lalla?”

Asked if the Opposition was planning to move the Supreme Court on the specific question of misuse of religion, one leader said: “This is a major concern for us in INDIA but there is a dilemma because the BJP will twist the debate to its advantage by saying that the Opposition has a problem with people worshipping Ram at the Ayodhya temple. Delhi government also has a pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens but it is for all religions.

On EVMs, the movement started by civil society organisations and lawyers has gained momentum. Though the INDIA parties have not lent their support formally, many leaders have attended the protests in the recent past in a show of solidarity. While the protagonists of this movement have been visiting many states to mobilise support and create awareness, a massive protest rally will be organised in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on February 22.

Senior leaders like former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, Congress general secretary Dipak Babaria, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, former governor Satyapal Malik will participate in the meeting, apart from the main protagonists such as Waman Meshram, Mehmood Pracha, Rajendra Gautam and others.