Political parties target BJP over arrest of former J&K minister by ED

Jammu, Nov 8 (PTI) The Congress, CPI(M) and National Panthers Party (NPP) on Wednesday attacked the BJP over the arrest of former Jammu and Kashmir minister Lal Singh by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

Singh, the chairman of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP), was arrested from a house in Chawadi area of Sainik Colony here on Tuesday evening within hours after a special court dismissed his anticipatory bail application.

Singh was under investigation by the ED in connection with a case against an educational trust run by his wife and former legislator Kanta Andotra.

“Law should (take) it’s own course, not in case of Lal Singh only but every such matter, which requires investigation. Selective approach, politics of vendetta and misuse of agencies have become order of the day,” senior vice president of Pradesh Congress Committee and former legislator Ravinder Sharma posted on X.

Reacting to the arrest of Singh, senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami alleged that curbing dissent by using agencies like the ED has become a standard practice of the BJP-led central government.

“One wonders how ED instantly becomes active as soon as one starts criticising or expressing disagreement with the government. Curbing dissent by using agencies like ED has become a standard practice of this government,” Tarigami wrote on X.

NPP president and former minister Harsh Dev Singh said the country is witnessing how the Opposition is being allegedly hammered and threatened by the BJP government through iron fists of the federal agencies.

“An atmosphere of dictatorship is prevalent in the country which is not only condemnable but worth mourning. The days of BJP are numbered and all its leaders will end up in jail for their misdeeds,” the NPP leader told reporters here.

He demanded proper treatment of the arrested leader as he is a victim of “politics of terror” allegedly unleashed by the ruling party.

Earlier in a post on X, he said ” you can be absolved of all your crimes and purged of sins if you join BJP and face gallows if you oppose BJP. Where has the country reached today?”