Change of ED raids and low-level politics, not Amritkal but undeclared emergency in the country: Congress

The Congress has termed the ED raids on its leaders in Chhattisgarh as low-level politics of vendetta and harassment, saying it is not cowed down by the government's tactics of relentlessly targeting the opposition. The party said that democracy is being destroyed through the ED and it is not an 'Amrit Kaal' but an undeclared emergency in the country.

Condemning the raids, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharne said 95 percent of ED raids in nine years were against opposition leaders. The raid on our leaders before the Congress convention in Raipur shows the cowardice of the BJP, but we are not cowed down by these threats.

BJP's uneasiness is visible: Kharge

Tweeting on the ED's action, Kharge claimed that BJP's uneasiness is visible from the huge success of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. He said, 'If Modi ji has an iota of honesty, then he should raid the mega-scams of his 'best friend'. We will firmly face this attempt to crush democracy.

In a joint press conference, Congress General Secretary for Communications Jairam Ramesh and Head of Media Department Pawan Kheda launched a scathing attack on the BJP government over the ED's action.

Jairam said that the government is targeting the opposition by misusing the investigative agencies and the new name of the ED has become 'Eliminating Democracy' (Eliminating Democracy). According to him, the 2014 amendment to the PMLA has poisoned our democracy and the daily raids on opposition leaders are proof that the ED is not neutral but a weapon of vendetta and harassment in the hands of the Prime Minister.

Not Amrit Kaal, Undeclared Emergency: Jairam

The Congress has shaken the government by asking questions to the Prime Minister every day on the Adani scam. He is silent on China's intrusion and the Adani case and is not doing so where an ED investigation is needed.

Jairam said that this is not Amrit Kaal, it is an undeclared emergency, but we are not going to back down despite this politics of intimidation. We don't have anything to hide.

All leaders get dusted by washing machines as soon as they join BJP: Kheda

Giving the figures of ED raids, Pawan Khera said that during the UPA, ED raided 112 times between 2004 and 2014, but in the last eight years, ED has conducted 3010 raids, of which 95 percent raids have been against opposition leaders. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the ED for 55 hours and Sonia Gandhi for three consecutive days.

Congress leaders 24 times since 2014, TMC 19, NCP 11, Shiv Sena eight, DMK six, RJD five, BSP five, TDP five, INLD three, YSRP three, CPM two, NC two, PDP two, AIADMK one, MNS One, there has been an ED raid on the leaders of SBSB once.

Citing the example of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Shuvendu Adhikari, Yeddyurappa, Reddy brothers, Narayan Rane, and Mukul Rai joining the BJP, the CBI and ED investigations against them were kept in cold storage, Kheda said that the BJP All the leaders get dusty from the washing machine as soon as they go in.

Warning the government as well as the ED officials, Khera said that the government should not forget that we are also in power in some states and our complacency should not be mistaken for weakness.

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