Congress questions raids against opposition leaders

New Delhi :  It seemed as if only the BJP and its coalition partners were clean and all others tainted, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said today, questioning CBI and ED raids against opposition leaders.

Sibal deflected a question on the investigating agency raiding RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, saying he did not have the details. “As far as raids and allegations are concerned, I can’t say till I have complete information about them. But I want to ask one small question from this government,” the former union minister said, a day after the searches.

Raids carried out by investigative agencies like CBI and ED have only targeted opposition leaders and governments in the country and never any government or party from the ruling party, he told reporters.
“There are many opposition leaders and opposition governments in India and there is not a single such state and leader where the CBI has not raided and the ED not sent its notices. Where ever there are ruling party governments, be it at the Centre or states, the CBI has not raided anywhere.

“So it seems the BJP people and their coalition partners only are clean and we all are tainted. We will feel good if the government gives an answer to this question.”  After CBI raids against Lalu Yadav across four cities in a corruption case in which his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi are among the accused, ED today conducted raids at three Delhi farmhouses of Misa Bharti, RJD MP and Lalu’s daughter, her husband and a firm linked to them, in a money laundering case probe.

The case against Lalu Yadav relates to alleged manipulation in award of contract for maintenance of two hotels run by a subsidiary of the Indian Railways — IRCTC — when the RJD chief was railway minister in the UPA government.