In a rare exhibition of emotion, Congress Party scion Rahul Gandhi today promised exemplary punishment for those sabotaging democracy in India that nobody would ever dare do something like this again.In a video tweeted by Gandhi, he can be heard giving assurance to an audience that the next non-BJP government — whenever it comes — will take such action against people manipulating government systems and agencies that it will remain a warning to everyone forever.”If these institutions had carried out their duty, if the CBI carried out what was right, if ED did what was appropriate, then this would never have happened,” Gandhi can be heard telling an audience, apparently in response to a question on how institutions in India are being used to thwart the functioning of Indian democracy.The question reflects an widespread concern among those affiliated or supportive of non-BJP parties that the BJP is misusing its power to ensure that the opposition parties can never mount a challenge to the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.Among other things, the central government has made extensive use of the Enforcement Directorate — an agency that was originally meant for preventing financial crimes such as money laundering — to prosecute opposition leaders and disrupt their funding.Investigative agencies such as ED, CBI and the Income Tax Department are also being reportedly used to dig out dirt about opposition politicians, which is then allegedly being used to engineer splits and divisions in those parties.Over the last five years, the ruling BJP has attracted many key opposition MPs and MLAs to leave their parties and cooperate with it.At the same time though, the opposition leaders who have joined the saffron outfit have denied that they have been blackmailed into joining the saffron front.
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