Raids by the Enforcement Directorate increased by 86 times between 2014 and 2024 – under the Modi government –as compared to the preceding decade when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was in power, an analysis of official data by PTI found.

Arrests and the attachment of assets by the central agency rose by 25 times in the past decade compared to the period between 2004 and 2014, according to the analysis.

The central agency conducted 7,264 raids in money-laundering cases since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014. Under the United Progressive Alliance governments that were in power from 2004 to 2014, the agency conducted only 84 raids, PTI reported.

Under the BJP-led Union government, the Enforcement Directorate arrested 755 persons and attached assets worth Rs 1,21,618 crore, PTI reported. Under the earlier Congress-led governments, it had arrested 29 people and attached assets worth Rs 5,086.4 crore, according to the analysis by the news agency.

The central agency registered as many as 5,155 cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the last ten years as compared to the 1,797 cases filed in the previous decade. It secured its first conviction in 2014 and has since secured conviction orders in 36 cases, leading to the prosecution of 63 persons, PTI reported.

Out of the 1,281 charge sheets filed in courts during the last decade, only 73 have been disposed of.

The PTI report comes amid allegations by Opposition parties that the BJP government has weaponised the Enforcement Directorate to intimidate them and coerce them into join the saffron party.

In September 2022, The Indian Express reported that Opposition leaders comprised 95% of all politicians that the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate had taken action against since 2014. This was up from 60% between 2004 and 2014.

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