Congress accuses BJP of using ED to settle scores, brands saffron party 'anti-Dalits'

Supriya Shinate adds, "The fact also is that the BJP, RSS, and Modi are absolutely against Dalits. There is a reason that they are not able to digest the fact that a Dalit can be the Chief Minister of Punjab in Independent India. Of course, they (BJP) have got 17 elected governments across the country but there is not one Dalit who leads these governments which is why they are targeting Dalits."

New Delhi: The Congress party, on Friday, hit back at BJP-led Central government over the arrest of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjeet Singh Channi's nephew alleging it a "political gimmick" in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab and even called it a move against Dalits.

While addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Surpiya Shrinate said, "It is absolutely deplorable that every time there is an election, every time a democratically elected government has to be toppled, this Modi Government resorts to using Government agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, which should actually be called Election Directorate, or CBI or Income Tax department."

She further added, "The fact also is that the BJP, RSS, and Modi are absolutely against Dalits. There is a reason that they are not able to digest the fact that a Dalit can be the Chief Minister of Punjab in Independent India. Of course, they (BJP) have got 17 elected governments across the country but there is not one Dalit who leads these governments which is why they are targeting Dalits."

Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey was being arrested by ED in an illegal sand mining case from Jalandhar after day-long questioning. Congress also alleged that by opening cases from the past, BJP is trying to help Aam Aadmi Party.

"Maybe Capt Amarinder Singh, Majithia got scared of ED and went to take refugee under BJP. Maybe Kejriwal is attacking a Chief Minister at your behest. We are not going to bow down. We will continue to fight. Come what may," Shrinate asserted.

Talking about the 33-year-old road rage case against the Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, party's General Secretary and Chief Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "It is an attempt to divert the attention during elections. It is an attempt to help their 'B' team (Aam Aadmi Party). They won't conduct a raid on Arvind Kejriwal or Satyendra Jain because these are the same people who had notified one of those three farm laws. Now they are returning the favor."

"Just 15 days ahead of the Assembly elections, the political gimmick of BJP has begun. Now, the Enforcement Directorate, which is actually Election Department, has come on the fray. Punjab and Punjabis are getting attacked because of the farmers' protest and through fake raids and fake arrests, Modi ji is trying to shrug off," he alleged.