ED has become PM's instrument of vendetta against opponents: Congress on action against Siddaramaiah

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday slammed the Centre over the ED booking Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a money laundering case linked to the MUDA land case, alleging the probe agency has become Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "instrument of harassment and vendetta" against his political opponents.

The opposition party's attack came after the Enforcement Directorate booked Siddaramaiah, his wife and some others, taking cognisance of a recent state Lokayukta FIR.

Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary-in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "It is no secret that the ED has become an instrument of harassment, vendetta, revenge, and vengeance on his political opponents by the non-biological PM."

"The people of Karnataka rejected Him resoundingly in May 2023 and He has not forgotten that humiliation. The Congress believes that He and His ED will stand thoroughly exposed soon. We have nothing whatsoever to fear. The CM of Karnataka will be vindicated," Ramesh said.

The ED has pressed sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to book Siddaramaiah in its enforcement case information report (ECIR), the equivalent of a police FIR, official sources said.

According to the procedure, the ED is empowered to summon the accused for questioning and even attach their assets during the investigation.

Siddaramaiah, 76, had last week asserted he was being targeted in the MUDA issue as the opposition was "scared" of him.

He had also reiterated that he would not resign following the court ordering a probe against him in the case as he had done no wrong and asserted that he would fight the case legally.

Siddaramaiah, his wife B M Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju -- from whom Swamy had purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others have been named in the FIR registered by the Mysuru-located Lokayukta police establishment on September 27.

The FIR was lodged after a special court in Bengaluru ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the case.

The order of the special court judge came following the Karnataka high court upholding the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for a probe against the senior Congress leader on allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

In the MUDA site-allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were given to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land that was "acquired" by MUDA.