Raids tracker: ED & IT raids as tools to target Opposition before polls

Since the Modi-led BJP came to power in 2014, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and income tax (I-T) department have been accused of being systematically weaponised to serve as political tools to intimidate Opposition leaders.

Critics argue that the frequency and selective targeting of Opposition figures, particularly during election season, reveal a pattern designed to weaken the BJP's political rivals rather than conduct a free and fair investigation.

In March 2023, 14 political parties petitioned the Supreme Court, raising concerns over the alleged misuse of central investigative agencies like the ED and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to target Opposition leaders.

They argued that the pattern of investigations disproportionately affected Opposition figures, with statistics supporting their claim: since 2014, the ED has investigated 121 political leaders, of whom 115 were from Opposition parties. The petition also pointed out that scrutiny often eased for Opposition leaders who subsequently joined the BJP, suggesting a selective approach to investigations.

These agencies' activities have notably escalated in the months leading up to the 2024 assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, with high-profile raids on Opposition leaders fueling concerns over the fairness of India's democratic processes.

Targeted raids on Jharkhand and Maharashtra leaders

• CM Hemant Soren's aide (November 2024): On 9 November, I-T department officials conducted searches on premises associated with a key aide to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, Sunil Shrivastava.

The raid is supposedly part of a larger series of investigations, targeting close associates of Soren, which the Opposition claims is part of an ongoing pattern of politically motivated probes aimed at weakening the ruling coalition in Jharkhand as the state approaches assembly elections.

The raid on Shrivastava is particularly significant because of his close professional relationship with Soren and his involvement in the state administration.

• Mithilesh Kumar Thakur (October 2024): The ED raided properties linked to Jharkhand minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur citing alleged corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme. Thakur and his supporters claim these raids are intended to discredit him and hurt the coalition’s chances in the upcoming polls.

• Alamgir Alam (May 2024): Former Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam was arrested after ED raids resulted in the seizure of over Rs 34 crore in alleged unaccounted cash. Alam, a senior Congress leader, denounced the timing of these raids as an attempt to destabilise his party ahead of the election.

• Uddhav Thackeray’s associates (Jan 2024): The ED launched an investigation into real estate projects associated with Uddhav Thackeray’s aides. The agency also investigated his MLA Ravindra Waikar in an alleged money-laundering case. Thackeray, former CM of Maharashtra and a vocal critic of the BJP, has repeatedly accused the ruling party of using Central agencies to crush Opposition voices.

• Sanjay Raut, SS (UBT) leader (2024): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has faced multiple ED raids tied to alleged financial misconduct. Raut contends that his outspoken criticism of the BJP has led to these targeted probes, which he believes are meant to silence him and weaken the Shiv Sena (UBT) influence in Maharashtra.

• Ajit Pawar, NCP leader (2023): The ED targeted Ajit Pawar, a senior NCP leader, by raiding properties associated with his family in relation to alleged irregularities in sugar mills and cooperative banks. These raids occurred as the BJP’s alliance sought to erode the NCP’s influence in Maharashtra politics.

  Pawar, however, after the raids, joined the BJP led NDA alliance in July 2023 and became deputy chief minister. In January 2024, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed a closure report in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) fraud case.

• Nawab Malik: A senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, faced extensive ED raids as part of a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged land deals with individuals connected to the underworld. The ED claimed that Malik had connections to Dawood Ibrahim's associates and accused him of financial transactions involving properties linked to the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. Following the raids, Malik was arrested, facing charges related to financial misconduct.

The Modi government and the BJP, though, defend these raids as necessary to fight corruption and argue that enforcing financial accountability should be above partisan concerns. However, the Opposition highlights the lack of similar scrutiny on BJP-affiliated leaders, raising doubts about the motives behind these investigations.

A trend has emerged where leaders accused of corruption have joined the BJP and subsequently received a reprieve from ongoing investigations, leading Opposition parties to dub this phenomenon the "BJP washing machine".

The strategic timing of these probes, often just before critical elections, has intensified criticism from the opposition, that view these actions as a calculated effort to manipulate political outcomes.