Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is to be the host to welcome leaders of almst 20 opposition parties in Patna on June 23 for a grand show. The event is going to turn the Lok Sabha finale into a head-on battle between the BJP and opposition parties.
While the grand opposition parties’ meeting will have several agendas, a crackdown by the central agencies – Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax (IT) department – allegedly against the opposition party leaders is going to be one of the top issues of discussions in the meeting.
In a plea filed by 14 opposition parties before the Supreme Court in March this year, the petitioners had alleged that 95 per cent of cases by ED, CBI and IT are against opposition leaders.
Most leaders from the opposition parties, who are going to attend the meeting in Patna, have been probed, raided or arrested by the ED, CBI or IT. Some of the prominent faces of opposition parties against whom action has been taken by the central agencies are:
Rahul Gandhi: Rahul Gandhi is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case. He was questioned by the ED for over 50 hours.
Sonia Gandhi: Along with son Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case. She was also questioned by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Mallikarjun Kharge: Congress President is under ED lens over financial transactions of Young Indian Ltd in the National Herald case.
P Chidambaram: Senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram is under investigation by the ED and CBI in the INX media and Aircel Maxis case. P Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI and ED earlier in the INX media case.
Karti Chidambaram: Congress parliamentarian Karti Chidambaram is under probe by the ED and CBI for his alleged involvement in facilitating visas to Chinese workers for the Talwandi Sabo Power Limited project for a bribe of Rs 50 lakh. It has been alleged that under the UPA government, the Home Ministry allegedly cleared illegal visas for Chinese nationals in return for Karti Chidambaram’s bribes in 2011.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction)
Sanjay Raut: MP Sanjay Raut is under the scanner in a money laundering case involving his wife. The financial probe agency is investigating a case about alleged irregularities in a redevelopment project in Mumbai’s Goregaon suburb – the Patra Chawl scam. He was arrested by the ED and is currently out on bail.
Thackeray Family: The ED recently raided certain persons in Maharashtra in a money laundering case who are allegedly close to Uddhav Thackeray and his family members.
Anil Parab: The ED lodged a case against former Maharashtra Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab. His statement was recorded by the ED in the case. The money laundering case was registered in connection with a resort constructed in Dapoli, Ratnagiri by Parab in violation of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) rules.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
Sharad Pawar: Sharad Pawar is under the scanner of the ED in a money laundering case. He has not been asked to appear before ED so far.
Ajit Pawar: Senior NCP leader and minister in the Maharashtra government Ajit Pawar is under the scanner of the ED in a money laundering case involving his family members. The ED has alleged that illegal money was diverted in several Benami properties, which were recently attached.
Praful Patel: Former Minister and Senior NCP leader Praful Patel is being investigated by the ED in a money laundering case. Several of the properties linked to him have been attached by the ED.
Nawab Malik: NCP leader and former minister Nawab Malik was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case. He is still in a Mumbai jail.
Anil Deshmukh: Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was arrested by the ED in a corruption case. He spent months before he secured bail in this case. The CBI is also investigating Anil Deshmukh.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Arvind Kejriwal: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was recently questioned by the CBI in the excise policy case. The ED is also expected to question him in the money laundering case.
Manish Sisodia: Former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI and later by the ED in the liquor scam case. Sisodia is still in jail.
Satyendra Jain: Former Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain is being investigated by the CBI, ED and IT. Jain was arrested by the ED and was recently released on bail on medical grounds after spending months in jail.
Trinamool Congress (TMC)
Abhishek Banerjee: All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the probe into the coal smuggling case. Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been questioned on several occasions by the ED along with his wife.
Partha Chatterjee: Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a teacher recruitment scam. The ED unearthed many disproportionate assets of Partha Chatterjee since his arrest.
Anubrata Mondal: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested TMC president of Birbhum district Anubrata Mondal to question him about his involvement in the cattle smuggling case. Mondal was earlier arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had picked him up for questioning in the same cattle smuggling case.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
Senthil Balaji: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently arrested Tamil Nadu Power and Excise Minister V Senthil Balaji after conducting searches on premises linked to him in connection with a money laundering case. The minister was arrested after a long session of questioning under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) into a cash-for-jobs scam. Later, he was hospitalised and has gone through a bypass surgery for his heart ailment. Balaji is under investigation by the Income Tax department also.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
Tejashwi Yadav: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav is being probed by the CBI regarding the benami properties which were purchased using the money generated in the land-for-jobs scam. The ED is also investigating him.
Lalu Yadav and his family: Lalu Yadav, his wife and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, and their two daughters are under ED investigation in the land-for-jobs scam. They were recently questioned by the central agencies.
Samajwadi Party (SP)
Akhilesh Yadav: Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav is under the scanner of the CBI in the illegal sand mining case, according to top government sources. Akhilesh Yadav was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 2017 and the mining minister of the state from 2012 to 2013.
Azam Khan: Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan is under ED investigation in a money laundering case. The ED is investigating a disproportionate assets case against the SP leader who was earlier lodged in Sitapur jail.
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