Pune: NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of employing central investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to undermine opposition parties. She claimed that after successfully splitting the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the BJP is now employing similar tactics against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal.
Allegations of Democratic Threat
Reacting to the ongoing political turmoil within the TMC, Supriya Sule stated, "BJP is using agencies like CBI and ED to target opposition parties. It split NCP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, and now it is using similar tactics against TMC. Rahul Gandhi has been warning about the ploy of finishing the opposition, and that exactly is happening in reality. If such a trend continues, the democracy of the country will be in danger."
Her remarks come in the wake of a rebellion within the TMC, where as many as 60 out of 80 party MLAs revolted against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the party's loss in the West Bengal assembly elections. The West Bengal assembly speaker, Rathindra Bose, recognized Ritabrata Banerjee from the rebel faction as the leader of opposition in the House.
Criticism of Government Priorities
Supriya also criticized both the central and state governments for being insensitive to the issues faced by common citizens. "When inflation is constantly rising, youngsters are facing unemployment, and students are encountering paper leaks, the government is interested only in elections and targeting the opposition. Instead of providing relief to common people, they are only trying to create a divide within society," the Baramati MP said.
Withdrawal from MLC Polls
She also addressed the NCP (SP)'s decision to withdraw from the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) poll contest for the Pune seat. The decision was taken after discussions with allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Pune units of Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) had expressed disappointment over the withdrawal, which paved the way for NCP candidate Vikram Kakade's unopposed victory.
Supriya clarified, "MVA held a meeting in Mumbai before the withdrawal. Representatives of Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) were present in it. The decision was taken after their consent. Apart from Pune, there were seven withdrawals across the state, including candidates from Congress."
Planned Bill to Prevent Horse Trading
The Baramati MP also announced her intention to introduce a bill in Parliament aimed at preventing horse trading in elections. "No election should be contested using money and muscle power. Therefore, I am planning to move a bill to stop horse trading in polls. We will hopefully see some changes in elections in the future," Supriya said.
