E-Paper
INDIA bloc leaders urge ECI to clip wings of ED, CBI, IT till LS polls are over
A delegation of senior leaders of the INDIA alliance parties met the Election Commission of India and submitted a representation to the poll panel on Friday
INDIA alliance leaders urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to clip the wings of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax (IT) till the Lok Sabha elections are over.
This comes a day after ED arrested Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with his alleged role in the state’s now-scrapped 2021-22 excise policy.
“Article 324 of the Constitution gives the ECI all the powers. INDIA block leaders urged the poll panel to exercise them to curtail actions of ED, CBI and IT among other agencies till elections are over,” said a senior political leader, who was a part of the INDIA-alliance delegation which met the ECI in Delhi on Friday.
The representation to the poll panel was made by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, NCP (SCP) leader Jitendra Awhad, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, TMC MP Derek O Brien and several other leaders.
“Senior leaders from political parties who are a part of the alliance arrived in Delhi to be a part of the delegation. Those two to three parties who couldn’t make it have expressed their full solidarity,” said a leader.
After meeting the ECI, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi told the media that the poll panel should ensure a level playing field during the elections.
“This isn’t about an individual or any party but it relates to the basic structure of the constitution. When a level playing field is needed for an election and you do not let the field be level by misusing agencies, it impacts free and fair elections and ultimately democracy,” he said.
The ED on Friday questioned West Bengal MSME and textile minister Chandranath Sinha and searched his house in Birbhum district in connection with the alleged multi-crore school recruitment scam.
NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad also urged the ECI to intervene against the misuse of central agencies.
“We are asking the Election Commission, which is the highest body during the election, to intervene. People are slowly but surely losing faith in every agency. This is the death of democracy,” he told media persons.
