After the Bihar Assembly election results, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal launched a sharp attack on the central government. He alleged that the NDA attempted to retain power by establishing control over institutions like the Enforcement Directorate and CBI, which led to the waste of many valuable years for the country.
New Delhi: Following the results of the Bihar Assembly elections, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal launched a sharp attack on the ruling NDA government at the Centre. Sibal alleged that agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were “misused to target political opponents,” leading to many valuable years for India being spent amidst disruptions.
He stated that the independence of the country's institutions and judiciary is extremely essential to safeguard India's democracy, and now is the time for these institutions to speak out freely without pressure.
India could have advanced rapidly on the path of its dreams, but... - Sibal
In a new episode of his YouTube podcast ‘Dil Se with Kapil Sibal’, Sibal stated:
'We have lost many glorious years of India. The country could have progressed many times faster if its institutions had not been misused as a tool to retain power. My message is that if you want to secure India's future, institutions and the judiciary must maintain their independence and speak out fearlessly.'
Sibal said that the objective of this discussion is to reflect on India's direction, its democratic strength, and the country's progress in the coming times.
Yashwant Sinha and P. Chidambaram also participated
In this episode, Sibal was joined by two veteran leaders: former Foreign and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, and former Union Home and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. Together, they discussed India's socio–political environment, economic pace, and institutional framework. Sibal also raised serious questions regarding the Election Commission. He stated:
'We discussed how the Election Commission and other institutions appear to be colluding with the government. The inclination of some institutions towards political interference is a dangerous sign for democracy.'
Sibal further added that the ED and CBI are being used to suppress opposition leaders and influence the electoral atmosphere, which is weakening healthy and constructive democratic discourse in the country.
Opposition's old accusation: ‘Misuse of Agencies’
The opposition has previously accused the central government of misusing central investigative agencies. Congress and several other opposition parties have stated that many Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held in recent years were “not conducted in a fair environment.” Citing the example of the Bihar Assembly elections, Congress claimed that the results were affected due to “lapses in vote counting transparency” and that “votes were stolen” in several constituencies.
Following the election results, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also questioned the electoral process, stating, "We are grateful to the millions of voters who trusted the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance). But this election was unfair from the beginning, and therefore the results are surprising." He alleged that the Election Commission and the administrative machinery did not allow “favorable conditions” for the opposition in many phases.
