The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday recorded the statement of former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in connection with one of the cases linked to the Jammu and Kashmir Bank.
It is learnt that Mr. Abdullah reached the ED office in Delhi around 11.30 a.m. and was questioned for about four hours.
Earlier, about 70 entities had come under the ED scanner pertaining to a money laundering probe into J&K Bank-related cases registered by the then Anti-Corruption Branch of Jammu and Kashmir. The case involves allegations of diversion of funds by several companies which got credit facilities from the bank.
The National Conference (NC) described the summoning of Mr. Abdullah as “another step in the vicious vilification campaign” and “misuse of investigative agencies”.
“This summons is another step in the vicious vilification campaign that started even before August 5, 2019, when constitutional position holders like the then Governor were used to make slanderous accusations against opponents of the BJP, knowing full well that there was no legal recourse available to those at the receiving end of these lies,” an NC spokesman said.
There was a time when elections were announced by the Election Commission “but now it seems that elections are announced by the Enforcement Directorate [ED]”, the party said.
‘Misuse of agencies’
“The Central government has made it a habit of misusing the investigating agencies and this is another step in the same direction. No political party that puts up meaningful opposition to the BJP has been spared, let they be the ED, CBI, NIA, NCB — all have been used for political purposes,” the NC said.
“Over the recent years, we have seen that wherever State elections are due, agencies such as the ED move in and target those parties who pose a challenge to the BJP,” the spokesman observed. “This summons to our vice-president is in the same vein. We have no doubt that this fishing expedition will yield no concrete results to the BJP and the people will give a ringing endorsement to the National Conference as and when required.”
Mr. Abdullah was called by the ED to Delhi to appear before it on Thursday on the grounds that his attendance was necessary in connection with an investigation.
“In spite of it being the holy month of Ramzan, and Delhi not being his primary place of residence, Mr. Abdullah did not seek a postponement or a change of venue and appeared as per the notice,” the NC noted.
Though this exercise was political in nature, Mr. Abdullah would cooperate with the investigating agencies as there was no wrongdoing on his part and he was not an accused in any matter under investigation, the party added.
