"Enforcement Directorate has been reduced to taking ‘Enforced Directives’ from Modi Govt"

The National Spokesperson of Congress party, Prof Gourav Vallabh said that the Enforcement Directorate has been "reduced to taking ‘Enforced Directives’ from the Modi Government". He was addressing a press conference on Thursday.

Commenting on the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED in the National Herald case, Vallabh said that these are "cheap tricks" that the ruling dispensation has resorted to after all its claims in the last 8 years failed. "Its incompetence is showing itself across all spheres", he added.

The Congress spokesperson said that it "is a clear case of maligning his (Rahul Gandhi's) reputation and a mere political stunt. All the central agencies have been reduced to pawns in the hands of the government. All these agencies have been queuing up to collect their blindfolds only to make a mockery of themselves."

The Congress leader raised various issues which demand the attention of the Enforcement Directorate, but unfortunately the once reputed agency has now just become a tool in the hands of the present regime, he said.

Vallabh also referred to reports of PM Modi pressurising the Sri Lankan President to "award a wind power project to the Adani Group", as claimed by the chairman of the Sri Lankan state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board claimed before a parliamentary panel.

The Congress leader said, "This is perhaps the first and only incident in the history of our country that allegations of such nature have been leveled against a PM. Why did the honorable PM want to pass on undue favors to a private individual? Why did the PM lower India’s pride by acting as a sales agent for a private individual? What was his compulsion? Why are ED and other agencies sleeping on this information?"

Vallabh asked why the ED isn't acting on this information, and whether it'll be calling bureaucrats or ministers to investigate it anytime soon. He said, "The honorable PM was allegedly batting for business gains for a private individual in a foreign land. Isn’t this a case of corruption worth investigating? Has the ED ever called anyone from the Adani group, or is it planning to call to investigate these serious allegations?"

"Karnataka govt charges 40% commission for all contracts. Why is ED silent on that? Why is ED silent on the Vyapam scam linked to the CM of MP, or silent on drugs seized in Gujarat ports? He further asked.

Vallabh also pointed out that in 2014, the SBI had drafted an in-principal agreement with the Adani group for a $1 Billion facility but had backed off and scrapped the MoU after constant protests against it. However, in 2020, news of another SBI loan of Rs. 5,000 crores to Adani’s Carmichael coal project in Australia became public. He added, "Pressure from investors like Amundi and AXA led to SBI’s loan being stuck."

The Congress leader questioned why this "concerted effort to provide a loan to the Adani group" was not being investigated by the ED. He added, "What credibility does an agency like ED have who is on a political witch-hunt but failing on its duty of investigating severe allegations and crimes?"