CBI, ED 'captive puppets' of NDA government: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress today dubbed the CBI and ED as "captive puppets" of the BJP-led NDA government and accused them of acting like its "dirty tricks department" to seek revenge against political opponents of the ruling party.

Criticising the raids against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav who is in a coalition government with the JD-U and the Congress in Bihar, AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the law of the land must prevail impartially against all.

"The law of the land must take its own course in an impartial and just manner. However, when law enforcing agencies like CBI/ED become 'captive puppets' of the BJP government, acting as 'dirty tricks department' to seek revenge against political opponents, it doesn't bode well for democracy," he said.

Surjewala raised questions over the inordinate delay of 13 years in registering a case in the matter which dates back to 2004 and asked whether the Railways has filed any criminal complaint with the CBI and why it did not cancel the contract.

"The BJP and the CBI need to answer certain fundamental questions. The matter, as per CBI, dates back to the year 2004 while FIR is lodged in the year 2017, then why this inordinate delay and particular silence maintained by BJP for last 3 years?" he asked.

He also asked that the lease was given through a tender in 2004 and what action has the Railways taken so far.

"Has the lease been cancelled? Has the property been taken in possession by Railways? Has the Railways filed a criminal complaint to CBI? Why has the Railways not cancelled everything for 14 years? In absence thereof, doubts certainly arise on the bonafides of CBI and BJP government," he said.

"While justice must be done, BJP or any other party has no right to give certificates of innocence or guilt today until the matter is adjudicated by courts," he said.

Surjewala said the BJP that keeps asking questions, must answer on its own policy of "zero tolerance on corruption" and asked why was no investigation ordered over the Sahara/Birla diaries, and why no action was taken in the Rs 20,000 crore GSPC scam.

He also wanted to know why no action was taken against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the Vyapam scam, against Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje in Lalit Modi and mining case, and against Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh in the Rs 36,000 crore PDS scam.

"Why no action in Rs 2,00,000 crore 'Dal scam' or Rs 45,000 crore 'spectrum scam'?" he asked.

The Congress leader said as the BJP government's failures are exposed, on farmers, rampant unemployment, silence on corruption, failure on economic front or nationwide protests against GST, which has made opposition parties come together to raise the voice of people, the sudden vendetta and spate of criminal cases is unleashed against opposition leaders.

"Does it not establish the malintent of the government?" he asked.

The CBI today conducted raids across four cities in connection with a fresh corruption case filed against Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and others.

The case, for which Yadav, his wife and son Tejashwi, who is Bihar's deputy chief minister, have been booked, dates back to when he was Union railway minister in the UPA government.