Opposition on Wednesday rallied behind DMK after the arrest of its minister V Senthil Balaji with parties describing it as “political harassment and vendetta” by the Modi government, which should rename central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and CBI as “BJP Sena”.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said none of them in the Opposition would be intimidated by “such brazen moves” while AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the BJP was living in a “fools’ paradise” if they think that they could win a seat in Tamil Nadu through such actions.
NCP Working President Supriya Sule said she was “not at all surprised” while Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said he now feels that a supplementary charge sheet would be filed against him in the land for job scam case ahead of the June 23 Opposition meeting.
Congress said in a statement that Kharge condemned the arrest calling it “nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi government against those opposed to it”.
In a statement, the AAP described the arrest as "inhumane" as it came despite knowing his health condition and it raised "serious concerns" about the working of the central agency.
Standing in solidarity with the Minister and all those Opposition leaders who were "victims of BJP's undemocratic targeting", it said the arrest came when the country is still grieving a devastating rail accident and issues of unemployment, inflation and alarming data breaches from CoWin jeopardising our citizens' privacy and security and it showed that the government's priorities are "misplaced".
Separately, Kejriwal said the ruling BJP is using ED and CBI against Opposition leaders and these agencies should be renamed as “BJP Sena”. He said, “Earlier, people used to think that a person who was raided by ED or CBI was someone who did something wrong but now, people think he has actually done something right and he is being targeted.”
Sule said, “Data speaks for itself. Data that has come out in the media says that around 95 per cent of people against whom ED and CBI registered cases are from the Opposition. I am not surprised at all," she said.
Senior lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal called the arrest "absolutely shocking". "When they've their own government in the state and the Centre, then it becomes a 'double-engine' government. But when another party is ruling in the state and BJP in the Centre, it becomes a 'double barrel' government. They use ED and CBI as two barrels," he alleged.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ameeque Jamei said that the credibility of the ED and the CBI are in question in India, which is passing through a "dark era".
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said the union government is using the ED in their bid to scare their opponents.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, "We keep sending complaints against BJP leaders with evidence. When will the probe against them start? I sent a complaint against three ministers of Maharashtra to ED. I have not even received a reply. Why are there no raids against them?"
JD(U) president and senior Lok Sabha MP Rajiv Ranjan 'Lalan' Singh said the BJP government was misusing the constitutional institutions against opposition parties to defame governments run by these states.
Congress Secretary Vineet Punia said the ruling BJP has set a pattern to “raid, defame, trouble, file cases and then disqualify”.
“What is happening in Tamil Nadu is a pattern adopted across the country. These agencies are misused and they stand discredited as all their actions are aimed at the opposition, including the Congress, and such people who are disliked by the government and who are capable of condemning any wrongdoing of the government,” he added.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo MK Stalin accused the ED officials of "enacting a drama" in the name of enquiry and accused them of "physically and mentally troubling" Balaji.
"They had pressured him to the point of him suffering chest pain...The cruel intentions of those that had deployed the officials are evident from this...Whatever the case is, Senthil Balaji will face it legally. We will firmly continue with our political stand. The DMK will face the case legally with resolve...DMK will not be cowed down by BJP's intimidation. People are watching such oppression and will give a befitting reply in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," he added.