Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh urged opposition leaders to seek protection from the courts if they believe they have been falsely implicated.
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh strongly refuted the allegations made by opposition parties, particularly the INDIA bloc, regarding the alleged misuse of central probe agencies following the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Singh accused the opposition of attempting to mislead the public and cover up their own shortcomings and mistakes, in a recent interview with news agency ANI.
The arrests of Kejriwal and Soren by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in separate cases have sparked outrage among opposition parties, who claim that the central government is using investigative agencies to target political opponents. Kejriwal, along with other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, are currently in custody in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Similarly, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha is also imprisoned in the same case.
Rajnath Singh Questions Opposition’s Lack of Faith in Courts
Responding to queries about Kejriwal’s arrest, Rajnath Singh challenged the opposition’s claims, asking why the Delhi Chief Minister has not been granted relief by the courts if the allegations against him are baseless. He dismissed the notion that the government has control over the judiciary, stating, “Even if it is assumed that he went to jail because of us, why is he not getting relief? Have we taken control of the courts also?”.
Singh emphasized that the ED, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Income Tax Department are carrying out their duties independently, with the goal of making India corruption-free, as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve. He urged opposition leaders to seek protection from the courts if they believe they have been falsely implicated.
Rejection of “Washing Machine” Politics Allegations
The Union Home Minister also addressed the Congress party’s accusations of the BJP engaging in “washing machine” politics, whereby leaders facing corruption charges are allegedly cleared of wrongdoing upon joining the ruling party. Singh firmly rejected these claims, asserting that the agencies are performing their duties independently and are not acting on the government’s instructions to target specific individuals.
Congress Leaders Joining BJP Due to Party’s Shortcomings
When questioned about the recent trend of Congress leaders joining the BJP, Rajnath Singh attributed it to the Congress party’s failure to fulfill its original objectives and its transformation into a “family party.” He stated, “Family is running the party, that is why Congress is getting into this bad situation”.
As the war of words between the ruling party and the opposition intensifies ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rajnath Singh maintained that a healthy democracy requires responsible individuals to uphold its principles. The opposition’s allegations of the misuse of central agencies and the government’s counter-accusations are likely to remain a key point of contention in the political landscape leading up to the general elections.
Source link
