NEW DELHI — The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led union government following sharp observations by the Supreme Court questioning the politicisation of the agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Senior AAP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi said that the apex court’s remarks had once again laid bare the blatant misuse of central investigative agencies to settle political scores.
Addressing a press conference in the capital, Atishi pointed to the Supreme Court’s comments made during a hearing on Monday, where the bench questioned why the ED was “becoming a political weapon.”
“This is a significant moment,” she said, “The court has asked why the ED is being used in political battles, and that question should concern every citizen who believes in democracy.”
The remarks were made in connection with a case involving the ED’s issuance of summons to the wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The Karnataka High Court had earlier quashed the summons, but the ED chose to challenge that decision in the Supreme Court. The apex court’s sharp tone in response has further fueled allegations that the central agency is acting under political pressure.
“This isn’t an isolated case,” said Atishi. “When the Supreme Court granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, it called the ED a ‘caged parrot’ and said his arrest was politically motivated. The same patterns are now repeating across states — from Delhi to Jharkhand to Bengal.”
Citing several high-profile cases, she alleged that Opposition leaders were being deliberately targeted in the run-up to elections.
“Sanjay Singh was arrested without the ED producing any proceeds of crime. The same happened with Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, and with RJD leaders in Bihar,” she said.
According to Atishi, there is a clear playbook at work: “Just before elections, the ED files cases and arrests Opposition leaders under stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which makes bail nearly impossible. Once the elections are over, the cases are quietly put into cold storage — only to be revived again before the next polls.”
“The BJP is running a conspiracy — weaponizing ED and CBI to intimidate political opponents,” she charged. “But today’s observations from the Supreme Court have once again exposed this misuse. It’s not about justice, it’s about vendetta.”
The controversy over the alleged political misuse of the ED and CBI has been simmering for months, with multiple Opposition parties accusing the Modi government of turning independent institutions into instruments of coercion. Monday’s hearing has added new momentum to that debate, as the judiciary’s growing unease with the conduct of investigative agencies has finally come to roost.
