By Santosh Kumar Pathak

New Delhi, Jul 9 (IANS): "Misuse" of investigative agencies has been a perennial issue between the ruling party and the opposition.

Irrespective of the party in power, the opposition always accuses the ruling party of misusing the investigative agencies, and during the last few decades, the politics of accusation has gained momentum.

Opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, NCP, RJD, and Shiv Sena, regularly accuse the Central government of misusing the ED, the CBI, and other Central agencies. These are the same allegations, that the BJP and other NDA partners made prior to 2014 against the then-ruling Congress-led UPA government.

Speaking to IANS, BJP National Spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling Raju Bisht pointed out that his party does not interfere in the legal process. He said that "chori upar se sina zori" (showing no regret over wrong doing) policy will not work. Those who have stolen the country's wealth will be held accountable under the law, whoever it is.

Recently, the Congress with all its veteran leaders, Chief Ministers, and party workers took to the streets to protest against the ED's interrogation of their leader Rahul Gandhi.

It also accused the Delhi Police of misbehaving with protestors during the agitation. Also, a delegation of Congress leaders approached President Ram Nath Kovind to register their complaint against the alleged misuse of investigative agencies by the Centre and the misbehaviour of Delhi Police.

The BJP, however, denied these allegations in its national executive meeting held in Hyderabad this month. It also passed a political resolution, accusing the Congress-led opposition of doing negative politics.

The resolution stated: "The Congress and its allies are resorting to the politics of lies and deception to serve their political interests. If the Congress President and its former President are questioned, then the entire Congress opposes it by taking to the streets."

"They neither have faith in the Constitution of India, nor have faith in the people of the country, and nor do they have faith in democratic values," the resolution added.

Countering the Congress' allegations and the protests, Union Minister Smriti Irani said that "efforts are being made to save the assets worth Rs 2,000 crore acquired by the Gandhi family through corruption".

Responding to the allegations levelled by the Congress over Rahul Gandhi's questioning by the ED in National Herald case, BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi had said that the case has nothing to do with the government. This has started on November 1, 2012, during the UPA government itself, but no action was taken by any agency of the government; and now the action is being taken only after the High Court's direction.

However, the Congress is not the only party to have accused the BJP-led NDA government of misusing the Central investigative agencies. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, NCP President Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and many other opposition parties and their leaders have also made similar allegations against the NDA government.

Taking a jibe at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations, BJP national spokesperson Raju Bisht termed it the best example of "ulta chor kotwal ko dante" (the pot is calling the kettle black). "West Bengal is the state where police and administrative officers work like TMC cadre. The state government has filed several cases against the BJP MPs, MLAs and leaders by making fabricated allegations, action is being taken out of political vendetta, and Mamta Banerjee is blaming us (the BJP government) on the contrary."

He further said that the ED has attached properties worth rupees thousands of crore from across the country. BJP does not interfere in the legal process. The Calcutta High Court has entrusted the CBI to investigate about 25 cases, questioning the West Bengal Police.

In fact, the BJP's stand on these allegations is very clear -- the government has nothing to do with these matters. The investigative agencies are taking their respective actions on the basis of merit and the leaders accusing the government should respond in case of corruption and cooperate through the legal process (interrogation, investigation and trial).

Referring to Narendra Modi's interrogation by the SIT during the UPA government, the BJP leader also said that despite false allegations, Narendra Modi did not create any ruckus. He faced the questions of the SIT and fully cooperated in the investigation process, but now the opposition parties, to hide their corruption, are falsely accusing the BJP of misusing investigating agencies.