Kapil Sibal slams ED action in Bengal; Questions timing before elections

ED Becomes Tool to Intimidate Opposition Ahead of Polls: Kapil Sibal

New Delhi: The recent action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in West Bengal has raised political tensions. The issue is drawing sharp reactions from state to national politics. Rajya Sabha MP and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal has raised serious questions about the role of the central government and the ED, calling it a means of intimidating the opposition. He argues that as elections approach, investigating agencies suddenly recall old documents and files.

"Documents are recalled as soon as elections come"

Speaking to reporters, Kapil Sibal said that the intensification of such actions around election time raises suspicion. He questioned why such activity is suddenly being shown after years in old cases like the coal scam. According to Sibal, the purpose is solely to pressure opposition leaders and governments, not to conduct impartial investigations.

West Bengal being targeted

Sibal alleged that in West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party is experiencing political success, the ED is being used to harass Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, the Trinamool Congress. He said that removing all files from an office is not within the scope of the law. If a specific case is to be investigated, only documents related to that matter should be seized.

The agency has become a tool

Sibal leveled serious allegations against the ED, saying that today the agency is acting like an "omnipresent force." He said that wherever an FIR is registered, the ED arrives, especially when elections are near. This not only creates an atmosphere of fear among opposition parties but also undermines democratic values.

Referring to the UPA era, the former Union Minister said that during the UPA government's tenure (2004–2014), investigating agencies were not given such free rein. He claimed that during that period, actions were not taken out of political vendetta, nor were such news headlines daily.

Warning of threat to the federal structure

Sibal concluded by saying that this ED's working style is harming the country's federal structure. The conflict between the center and the states is being deliberately escalated, which is a dangerous sign for democracy. He believes that investigative agencies should be allowed to function impartially and independently, rather than being used as political tools.