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Oppn hits out as ED questions Kavitha
Opposition leaders hit out at the BJP for allegedly misusing central agencies to target political rivals after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav for questioning in a land-for-jobs case, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC K Kavitha as part of its probe into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
Opposition leaders hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday for allegedly misusing central agencies to target political rivals after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav for questioning in a land-for-jobs case, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC K Kavitha as part of its probe into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
The CBI issued the summons to Yadav, son of Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad, after he skipped the previous date on March 4. Yadav, however, did not appear before the CBI citing personal reasons.
The Telangana MLC, meanwhile, was questioned by ED for nine hours on Saturday, even as the action by the anti-money laundering probe agency triggered a wave of protests in the state.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar — the Congress, JD(U) and RJD are partners in the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar — and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of “suppressing” the Opposition.
Yadav was asked to appear before CBI hours after ED conducted searches at 24 locations in the National Capital Region, Bihar and Jharkhand, at the homes of three of Lalu’s daughters, Yadav’s Delhi residence, and former RJD MLA Abu Dojana, on Friday. The agency said it recovered proceeds of crime worth ₹600 crore during the raids.
The action followed the questioning of Lalu’s wife Rabri Devi by CBI in Patna on Monday, and Lalu in Delhi on Tuesday in relation with the case going back to when he was the Union railways minister from 2004-2009.
When asked about his parents’ questioning, Tejashwi said earlier this week that the CBI action was a result of his family’s relentless opposition to the BJP.
“It is an open secret that probe agencies are acting against political opponents of the BJP and helping those who agree to align with that party,” the RJD leader had told reporters outside the Bihar assembly.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar appeared to agree with allies that the crackdown against Lalu Prasad’s family was “politically motivated”, while also dismissing speculation that he had refrained from commenting on the issue over fear of being aligned with “tainted” politicians.
“What do I have to say, those who are at the receiving end are giving an adequate response,” Kumar told reporters in Patna.
“Similar things had happened in 2017 when I was on this side. Now that I am here again, these things are happening again,” he said, in an apparent reference to the land for hotels case in which ED had named, along with others, Yadav, who was the deputy CM then as well.
In a tweet in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Why is the BJP government so scared of the vocal voices of the Opposition?”
She alleged that by adopting all possible means, the government is indulging in politics of “suppressing” the unyielding voices of the Opposition.
“The action of agencies on Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav ji is inspired by this politics,” the Congress general secretary alleged. “The public is watching everything, and will take all this into account.”
ED’s money laundering probe is based on a CBI first information report, registered on May 18 last year, which said that during Lalu’s tenure as railways minister from 2004-2009, 12 irregular candidate appointments were made in the central railways, violating the recruitment procedures of the Indian Railways.
According to the central agencies, Lalu and his family members acquired 105,292 square feet of land in Patna through seven deeds (five sale deeds and two gift deeds) at throwaway prices from these 12 people, who got jobs in six different zones of the Railways in return.
CBI filed a charge sheet in October 2022 against 16 people, including Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and their daughter, Misa Bharti. A Delhi court has summoned them on March 15.
The Congress and the JD(U), however, were not signatories to a letter by nine opposition leaders on March 5 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in protest against CBI arresting Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi liquor policy case.
ED has alleged that when the excise policy was being drawn up, an expert committee’s recommendations were not considered and the profit margins were changed (from 5% to 12%) in order to ensure some private entities of the alleged “South Group” — of which K Kavitha was a member — made a profit.
On Saturday, the agency questioned Kavitha, daughter of Telangana chief minister, for nine hours, with officials familiar with the matter saying that the interrogation focused on her role in influencing the policy and paying kickbacks to AAP leaders.
Ahead of her questioning on Saturday, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi came out in support of the leader, accusing the BJP government of targeting KCR and his family for his leadership in Telangana’s inclusive development.
“BJP MPs have called for economic boycott of Muslims; they’ve asked people to keep weapons at home. But Modi government is busy targeting Telangana CM and his family for his leadership in Telangana’s inclusive development,” Owaisi tweeted.
Meanwhile, posters surfaced across Hyderabad on Saturday, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “destroyer of democracy” and “grandfather of hypocrisy”.
Other posters featured several leaders who switched sides to the BJP and Kavitha.
