'Congress uses CBI, Income Tax to gain support': PM Modi quotes Mulayam Singh Yadav to counter INDIA bloc

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday countered the Opposition's allegations that the Centre was misusing the central investigative agencies. PM Modi defended the CBI and ED's actions against some opposition leaders and reminded Congress what some of its allies had said about the CBI and Income Tax Department when the UPA was in power. 

During his over an hour-long address in the Rajya Sabha, PM Modi read out former Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and CPI-M leader Prakash Karat's statements where the duo accused the grand old party of misusing the central agencies to secure smaller parties' support to remain in the government. 

The Congress-led UPA ruled from 2004 to 2014. In the two terms, the Congress did not have a majority and had to rely on support from the SP, Left, TMC, and other smaller parties.   

"Let me tell you how investigative agencies were misused earlier and by whom. I will present some statements. The first statement is from 2013: 'it is not easy to fight Congress. They will put you in jail using CBI.' The Congress uses the fear of CBI and Income Tax to gain support. Whose statement is this? This statement is from the late Mulayam Singh Ji," the Prime Minister said.  

"Mulayam Singh Ji said how Congress misuses agencies. And I want to ask (SP MP) Ram Gopal Ji, was Netaji (Mulayam Singh Ji) lying? Netaji always spoke the truth. Ram Gopal Ji should remind his nephew about who put the CBI noose around his neck as soon as he entered politics," PM Modi added.  

The Prime Minister then read out another statement from 2013, by Prakash Karat. "The Congress has used the CBI to strike political bargains with many parties." Who said this? Comrade Shri Prakash Karat Ji said this in 2013," he said. 

PM Modi did not stop at that and also quoted the Supreme Court's observation when the CBI was called a 'caged parrot'. "I will read one more important statement: 'CBI is a caged parrot that speaks in its master's voice.' This is not a statement from a political person; it is a statement made by our country's Supreme Court during the UPA government. There are living proofs of who used to misuse the agencies."

The Prime Minister's counterattack comes at a time when the INDIA bloc leaders have opposed the ED and CBI actions against some of its leaders such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and JMM chief Hemant Soren - both are part of the opposition alliance. 

Arvind Kejriwal is in jail in the alleged liquor scam case, for which the prime minister said the evidence was released publicly by the Congress in several press conferences. "Congress had conducted press conferences against them (AAP). Now, let Congress clarify whether the evidence they presented in those press conferences was true or false. Both parties will expose each other. They do not have the courage to answer these questions. They are people with double standards," he said. 

The Congress and AAP are part of the INDIA bloc and had contested the Lok Sabha polls together in Delhi and Gujarat.