Actions against Chidambaram, Raj "political vendetta": NCP

The NCP on Thursday smelt "political vendetta" behind the CBI and ED's actions against senior Congress leader P Chidambaram and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, respectively.

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik alleged it was the Modi government's "model" of "misusing" probe agencies to harass opposition leaders who speak up against it and added people will see through the developments.

Hitting out at the BJP government over Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons to Thackeray, NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said that an "undeclared Emergency" has become more apparent in the country now.

Chidambaram was arrested on Wednesday night by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the INX Media corrupiton case.

Thackeray, summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to IL&FS, on Thursday appeared before the agency at its office here.

"Thackeray is being enquired out of political vendetta, in view of Maharashtra Assembly election. It is the BJP, Modi government's model that they misuse government agencies to silence those who speak up against it," Malik told reporters here.

Thackeray had campaigned against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls though his party did not contest the elections.

Malik, a former Maharashtra minister, alleged action against Chidambaram too stemmed out of "political vendetta".

"Present Union Home Minister Amit Shah must have felt he had to go to jail in a case when Chidambaram was the Union Home Minister (in 2010). The genesis of the action against Chidambaram is in that mindset (of Shah)," Malik alleged.

The NCP leader further charged that there are leaders in the BJP who have CBI and ED cases pending before them, yet they were not raided by the probe agencies.

Earlier in the day, Munde, the Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, alleged that the notice was served to Thackeray through the ED to "silence" him in view of the upcoming Assembly polls.

Munde also charged the BJP, heading governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, with "throttling" democracy.

"The ED has been unleashed behind Thackeray as he exposed Modi, Shah and their government in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha polls," Munde said.

"If you (opposition) will speak against us (Modi and Shah), we will silence you by leaving the ED, CBI and Income Tax department after you. The undeclared Emergency in our country has become more visible now," he said.