ED 'political weapon' of Modi, Shah to target political opponents: Jairam Ramesh

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday claimed Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Rauts bail order indicated that the Enforcement Directorate was a political weapon in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit ShahA special court in Mumbai on Wednesday granted bail to Rajya Sabha member Raut in a money laundering case related to the Patra Chawl redevelopment project saying his arrest was illegal and a witchhuntAddressing a press conference during the Congresss ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi here in Maharashtra Ramesh said the special court has made scathing observations and the language used is clear that the central probe agency is being used to intimidate threaten and create fear among political opponentsRauts bail order shows that the Enforcement Directorate is not an independent institution but a political weapon in the hands of Modi and Shah Ramesh claimedHe said there was no case to arrest Raut who is the parliamentarian and the executive editor of Saamana the mouthpiece of the Uddhav Thackerayled Sena factionAlso Read Testimonies of two psychiatric experts were crucial in clinching case CBIWe hope Sanjay Raut will continue to target the central government over different issues Ramesh saidThe former Union minister also alleged that the BJP was trying to destroy the cooperative sector in which Maharashtra is a leaderThe cooperative sector is being centralised in the hands of the Union home minister he claimedIt is being done to hurt the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party NCP which are strong in this sector he saidDuring the UPA rule there was no tax on the cooperative sector which changed after the Modi government took charge he saidInforming about the Congress mass outreach programme Ramesh said the partys Odisha unit has already started a 2200km Bharat Jodo Yatra from October 31Similar initiatives will be taken in Assam and Tripura this month while the West Bengal unit will start the yatra in DecemberAsked why the Rahul Gandhiled Bharat Jodo Yatra is not going through Gujarat where the Assembly elections are scheduled on December 1 and 5 he said the state is not on the route chosen for the foot marchIf it Gujarat was chosen then the entire state Congress unit there would have been involved in the arrangements for the yatra instead of the elections he saidRamesh also said that NCP chief Sharad Pawar will not be able to join the Bharat Jodo YatraRahul Gandhi had spoken to Pawar 81 when he was recently hospitalisedEven though Pawar had agreed to join the yatra he cannot do so as doctors have advised him rest Ramesh saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever