‘Attack on people, vendetta politics’: Cong slams BJP over ED action against Siddaramaiah

PTI, Oct 1, 2024, 7:29 PM IST

Accusing the BJP of indulging in “politics of vendetta”, the Congress on Tuesday said the Enforcement Directorate booking Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a money laundering case linked to the MUDA land allotment case was an “attack” on the people of the state and an attempt to destabilise an elected government.

Dubbing the ED as “election department” of the BJP, the opposition party also alleged that from 2016-2022, the BJP toppled about 10 governments and it wants “one nation, one election, one party”.

Addressing a press conference here along with party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, Congress General Secretary (In-charge, Communications) Jairam Ramesh called the ED action an “attack on the people of Karnataka”.

“This attack is taking place because Karnataka people did not give the mandate to the BJP. ‘We did not get MLAs, so we have brought PMLA (is the BJP’s refrain)’,” Ramesh said.

He said the Karnataka CM has asserted in categorical terms that he welcomes an investigation.

“The Congress believes and is convinced that this ED action is an action of political vendetta, political revenge, political vengeance on a democratically-elected government led by the chief minister,” he said.

He alleged that since day one of the formation of the Karnataka government last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and all other ministers are not allowing the Congress guarantees to be implemented.

Referring to the Enforcement Directorate action, Ramesh said it is part of a series of actions of the BJP to “destabilise” the Karnataka government.

“This is an attempt to scare and it is politics of vendetta. We will not be scared and the truth will come out. The mandate that the Karnataka government got, it will complete its full term and we will fulfil the promised guarantees,” the Congress leader said.

“This entire episode is a conspiracy. From 2016-2022, the BJP toppled 10 governments, that is their track record,” he said.

Modi has not yet been able to tolerate the BJP’s “crushing defeat” in Karnataka, Ramesh claimed.

In his remarks, Singhvi said it is very clear that the ED is now trying its utmost to go below the belt to “browbeat, bulldoze and bully” an elected Congress government and an elected CM.

“The ED is nothing but the election department of the BJP. You can also call it the election demolition branch of the BJP,” Singhvi said.

He pointed out that 95 per cent of the ED’s total political cases are against the opposition only.

“If we talk about Maharashtra, the cases of those who defected (to the BJP) are in cold storage. This list of BJP washing machine is increasing at the all-India level. Along with this list, another list is increasing, in which work is being done against the people who became chief ministers with the mandate. A new PMLA FIR has also been registered in Siddaramaiah ji’s case,” Singhvi said.

“The BJP is trying to intimidate Siddaramaiah ji by using PMLA. The only objective of the BJP government is to threaten and intimidate the opposition,” Singhvi said.

He asserted that there is no question of PMLA being applied in the matter and it was being done with political vendetta in mind.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also questioned the ED slapping a money laundering case against him in the MUDA ‘scam’ and once again ruled out his resignation over the issue.

Siddaramaiah alleged that his wife Parvathi B M, who decided to relinquish the ownership and possession of 14 plots that was allotted to her by the MUDA (Mysuru Urban Development Authority), was a victim of ‘politics of hate’ against him and he was surprised by her move.

The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the Chief Minister over the alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA. The agency had also invoked relevant sections of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case against him.

Meanwhile, the Lokayukta police team that visited the 3.16 acre land was joined by the special land acquisition officer, surveyors and town planning members from the MUDA, and they surveyed the land and took notes, official sources said.

The Congress on Monday had alleged that the ED has become PM Modi’s “instrument of harassment and vendetta” against his political opponents, after the agency booked Siddaramaiah.