The Congress party on Saturday termed the raids of ED on the properties of close associates of Robert Vadra as 'dirty and malicious tricks' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre.
Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that faced with an imminent loss in all five states where assembly elections were held recently, Singhvi said, "The Modi government is back to its dirty tricks and malicious tactics."
It is worth mentioning that Robert Vadra, son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has been on the radar of Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly committing irregularities ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014.
"The tools being employed by the Modi government to hide its massive failures are mudslinging, muckraking and hatchet jobs by the 'dirty tricks department' - the CBI and the ED, to smear opposition leaders," he said.
"The illegal raids on the premises of Robert Vadra and his associates is another episode of these concerted conspiracies, blind vendetta acts and web of lies to target the Congress party," Singhvi added.
He further stated that while all constitutional, legal and administrative norms "are being thrown into a dustbin," the Central government organisations like CBI, ED and Income Tax Department are "acting as slaves and bonded labour," which are "dancing to the tune of" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The ED had conducted raids in the premises of a number of Vadra's close associates for allegedly receiving money from defence suppliers, sources confirmed. The raids were conducted at several locations in Bengaluru and the national capital.
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In Vadra's defence, Singhvi said that that the businessman has adhered to all summons and notices issued by every agency for several years and has supplied every document he was asked to produce.
While elaborating the alleged 'illegality' of ED raids, saying that they did not have the prerequisite warrants and harassed a number of employees, Singhvi accused Prime Minister Modi-led government of having "run roughshod over the fundamental rights of private citizens that have no dealings with Robert Vadra or his businesses.