Wayanad (Kerala)/ New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the ED questioning National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, accusing the Centre of using its probe agencies as political weapons and saying many, including himself, were facing “this assault”.
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister for over six hours in connection with a multi-crore scam in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, prompting accusations of “political vendetta” by the newly-formed People’s Alliance comprising several mainstream parties.
“There is a tendency in the current government to use agencies as political weapons. If somebody is not doing what they want politically, across the board, they feel like they can use the CBI and the ED to pressurise them, threaten them,” Gandhi, on a three-day tour of Kerala, said.
These institutions were designed to give justice to the people and not to be used as political instruments and not the “personal instrument” of the Prime Minister, he said.
“It’s not only Mr Farooq Abdullah, many many people are facing this assault. I am personally facing this assault. I have a number of cases against me and there are many leaders who are facing this assault,” Gandhi said.
However, when asked about the CBI and ED probe into the gold smuggling case in Kerala, the Congress leader, responded saying “justice must prevail”.
“The investigation agencies are probing the matter. Let’s see where the investigation goes. Justice must prevail,” he said.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday slammed the government over the ED questioning National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, alleging that “naked intimidatory tactics” were being used by the Centre to make the former J&K chief minister “fall in line”.
“Dr Farooq Abdullah is one of the senior most political leaders in the country. A former CM and a sitting MP cannot be cowed down by such naked intimidatory tactics,” said Yechury in a tweet.
“The Modi govt will fail in its unscrupulous efforts to browbeat Dr Abdullah to fall in line. Solidarity,” he said.
