"Central agencies not your frontline workers": Congress to BJP

 A day after an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer was arrested by the Rajasthan ACB while accepting a bribe of Rs 15 lakh, the Congress on Friday hit out at the BJP saying the central agencies are not its Frontline workers and that their autonomy should be maintained.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "The biggest investigative agency of the country only takes action against opponents and an ED officer was arrested along with his associate while accepting a graft of Rs 15 lakh."

He said that ED officer Naval Kishore Meena and his associate Babulal Meena were arrested. If small officers like the two were taking Rs 15 lakh bribe, one can imagine the rate list of senior officers.

"We political parties issue the list of star campaigners, and the BJP's campaigners are CBI, ED and IT department," he said.

He charged that the central agencies get a list ahead of election and it is like a toolkit.

"Congress wants agencies to be fair, neutral, fearless and autonomous. Government should strengthen them and not weaken them," he said.

"The BJP should understand that they are not your frontline warriors," he said referring to the misuse of investigative agencies.

He also said that 95 per cent cases are against opposition leaders. "We will share the address and the contact number of BJP leaders like Suvendu Adhikari and others. Why this selective memory loss in ED," he said, taking a jibe at the BJP.