Congress leader Udit Raj likens ED, CBI, I-T dept to ISI, says 'We too follow Pak model'
Aug 06, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 6 : Congress leader Udit Raj on Sunday took a jibe at the Centre, saying that the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Income Tax Department, were playing roles which are "played by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Pakistan".
"I am not making comparisons. Pakistan is a failed democracy, controlled by ISI. But, in a way, we can say that we too are following the Pakistan model. ED, CBI and Income Tax are playing the same role that is played by ISI. The ISI controls politics there (Pakistan) and ED controls it here," Congress leader said while speaking to ANI.
"Due to the fear of ED, several leader join Bharatiya Janata Party. Those who are involved in ED cases join BJP and then their cases are stopped. In ISI's case, they allow someone they want - to be in power, and someone they don't want - to lose power...I think that just like ISI influences politics there, ED/CBI/Income Tax influence India's politics," he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram equated the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification case and said that "Pakistan is following the India model of preventing the main opposition leader from contesting elections."
Chidambaram referred to Rahul Gandhi's Modi surname defamation case which cost him his MP status temporarily, two-year criminal defamation conviction, which led to his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP.
However, BJP leader RP Singh lashed out at the Congress MP for drwaing parallel between the two cases.
Reminding the son of former Union minister P Chidambaram that he was "charge-sheeted in a corruption case", RP Singh told ANI, "Rahul Gandhi was convicted in a criminal defamation case. Corruption and defamation are two different issues having nothing in common. Hence, drawing a parallel between them makes no sense."