Guwahati, Nov 3: United Opposition Forum, Assam (Birodhi Oikya Manch, Axom), an alliance of 15 Opposition parties in the state, has accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of “misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for political interests.”
Addressing mediapersons on behalf of the United Opposition Forum, Assam, here on Friday, Assam Trinamool Congress president Ripun Bora alleged that the BJP-led NDA government has “put democracy and the Constitution in danger by misusing ED and CBI.”
“During the tenure of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre from 2014 to 2023, we have seen that the two national investigating agencies of our country – CBI and ED – which are constitutionally autonomous bodies – have not been allowed to function on their own. Instead, the Union government has misused the two institutions as puppets for its political interest,” Bora alleged.
“The BJP-led government has misused the two constitutional autonomous bodies to such an extent that the people of India are compelled to believe that the prime duty of CBI and ED is to control the political opponents of the BJP government instead of controlling economic offences and other crimes, which is a threat to our democracy and Constitution,” he alleged.
Citing instances to substantiate the allegation, the TMC leader stated that out of the cases registered by ED and CBI during the second tenure of the BJP-led NDA government (2019 to 2023), 95 percent cases are registered against some selected opposition political leaders.
“Contrary to this partisan and vindictive policy of the BJP government, only 26 cases were registered by ED and CBI against political leaders during 10 years of the Congress-led UPA government, of which only 14 cases were against Opposition political leaders who opposed the ruling party,” Bora claimed.
“On the other hand, there has been no instance of ED and CBI registering cases against BJP leaders during 2014-2023. Rather, the BJP government has kept pending the old cases under ED and CBI against BJP leaders,” he alleged.
Representatives of all the parties of the United Opposition Forum were present at the media conference.