Updated 5 March 2021 at 20:46 IST
Mufti responds to ED summon, reiterates attack on Centre for using central agencies
Mufti remarked that the Centre's tactics to 'intimidate & browbeat' political opponents has now become 'tediously predictable', in response to the ED summon
Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summon, former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has reiterated her attack on the Centre, accusing the Union Government of strongarming political opponents by using central investigative agencies. Mufti, who has been re-elected as the PDP chief, remarked that the Centre's tactics to 'intimidate & browbeat' political opponents has now become 'tediously predictable'. The central agency has summoned Mufti to New Delhi on March 15 in an alleged money laundering case.
Mufti's close aide raided
Prior to Mufti's summon, the Enforcement Directorate in December last year had raised the premises of her close aide Anjum Fazili, in connection with a financial fraud at the J&K bank. The central agency had then seized Rs 28 lakhs in cash from Fazili's premises. The searches were conducted at the residences of the former PDP MLA in Srinagar and Delhi.
Following ED's crackdown on money laundering Jammu & Kashmir, Mufti had alleged that the agency's action was a 'witch hunt' against her. The PDP chief had written to the ED Director alleging that the use of the central agency against political opponents is not an 'unknown device' for the party in power at the Centre. Asserting that she was ready to face any questioning, Mufti demanded fairness in the process of investigation in her letter to the ED Director.
PDP chief writes to ED
"The only common thread connecting these persons appears to be that they are all acquainted with me, my family, or my politics in one way or another. The questioning of these persons is also focused on myself, my personal, political and financial affairs, my late father’s grave and memorial, my sister’s finances, home constructions, my brother’s finances and personal affairs, etc,” the letter after ED raids had read. Earlier, the central agency had also questioned former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah in an alleged money laundering case and had attached his properties worth nearly Rs 12 crores.
“If there is any breach of what I consider to be norms of law, good conduct, and constitutionalism, I shall not hesitate to take the matter up legally and politically,” she added in the letter to the ED director.
Published By : Jitesh Vachhatani
Published On: 5 March 2021 at 20:46 IST