'ED, CBI BJP's Vipaksh Mitao Cell’: In Hemant Soren Arrest, Rahul, Kharge Claim Larger Ploy To Wreck Democracy

Rahul Gandhi said ED, CBI, and IT are no longer government agencies, but have become BJP's "eliminate opposition cell."

New Delhi: Several political leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a land scam case.

Slamming the ruling party, Rahul Gandhi said that ED, CBI, and IT are no longer government agencies, but have become BJP's "eliminate opposition cell."

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said: "ED, CBI, IT etc. are no longer government agencies, now they have become BJP's 'eliminate opposition cell'. The BJP itself, steeped in corruption, is running a campaign to destroy democracy in its obsession with power."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that whoever wouldn't go with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will go to jail.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also took to X and said: "The one who did not go with Modi ji will go to jail. Imposing ED against Jharkhand Chief Minister, Shri Hemant Soren and forcing him to resign is a blow to Federalism. Intimidating opposition leaders by making the provisions of PMLA draconian is part of the BJP's tool kit. The BJP's work of destabilizing the opposition governments one by one as part of a conspiracy is continuing. What went into the BJP's washing machine is clean as white, what didn't go is tainted? If democracy has to be saved from dictatorship then BJP will have to be defeated. We will not be afraid, Will continue to fight from Parliament to the streets."

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also slammed the BJP over Heman Shoren's arrest "ED, CBI and IT are no longer agencies but have become courtiers in the court of BJP," she told ANI.

After the arrest, Congress leader Surendra Rajput said, “BJP will have to pay for using ED, CBI and IT against the Opposition. In Jharkhand, tribal CM Hemant Soren is continuously being harassed for an old case in which no evidence was found. He will not bow down. Congress party will support whoever he selects for the CM post."

 

Soren, who is also the head of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was arrested on Wednesday night following more than seven hours of questioning by the ED in a land scam case.

 

The arrest came shortly after he submitted his resignation to the Governor, paving the way for his loyalist and state Transport Minister Champai Soren to potentially take on the role of Chief Minister, as stated by the ruling alliance.