'Cheap stunts by BJP to settle political scores'

New Delhi: Slamming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the premises of three aides of Robert Vadra, Congress party leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that it's "cheap stunts" by the BJP to settle political scores.

Notably, the ED on Saturday also raised the residence of Congress worker Jagdish Sharma, who is considered to be Vadra's close aide.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Singhvi accused the ruling BJP party of indulging in "vendetta politics" and said, "To settle political scores in a petty manner, cheap stunts are being done by the ruling party."

The Congress leaders also claimed that the Modi government had "sidelined the rule of law" and added that the present government had "resorted to leadership."

"The defeat of BJP in the 5 states has made them nervous, which has led them to divert people with a different narrative," he said. Incidentally, polling for assembly polls in Telangana and Rajasthan concluded yesterday, with several exit polls indicating that Congress was likely to edge past BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Singhvi further said, "Raids were conducted for 24 hours on Manoj Arora, an associate of Vadra, besides raiding

the residence of associate's sister, who has a paralysed husband and a child. This was done with neither an FIR nor a warrant."

The Congress leader further alleged that ED officials had threatened employees of the aides who were not allowed to speak to their families or lawyers. "This kind of 'terrorist Raj' is unknown to the ethos of a constitutional democracy like India," Singhvi said.

The ED conducted the raids on Friday at multiple premises in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru in connection with its probe into alleged "commissions received by some suspects in defence deals" as well as illegal assets amassed abroad.