Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Centre of targeting those who are pro-farmers. The Congress leader used three popular Hindi idioms to allege that central agencies were being misused.
“Some Idioms: ‘Ungaliyon par nachaana’ – central government does this with IT Dept-ED-CBI [Income Tax Department-Enforcement Directorate-Central Bureau of Investigation],” Gandhi tweeted. “‘Bheegee billee banana’ – friendly media in front of the central government. ‘Khisiyaanee billee khamba noche’ – like the central government raids the supporters of farmers.”
He used the first idiom to suggest that that Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government misuses central agencies such as the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
With the second idiom, Gandhi hit out at the “government-friendly” media that cows down before the Centre. Using the third idiom, the Congress leader said that it was like the government was frustrated and hence carrying out raids against people supporting the farmer protest.
Gandhi’s comments came a day after the Income Tax Department searched the properties of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actor Taapsee Pannu.
The searches were related to alleged tax evasion, according to unidentified officials. IT officials also raided the premises of production house Phantom Films, which was co-promoted by Kashyap and producers Vikas Bahl and Madhu Mantena.
Kashyap and Pannu have been strongly critical of the government’s policies. Most recently, Pannu had hit out at the Centre for its attempts to counter the international attention towards the farmers’ months-long protest against the agricultural laws. There was an outpouring of global support for the farmers after Pop star Rihanna’s tweet about internet cuts at protest sites near Delhi.
“If one tweet rattles your unity, one joke rattles your faith or one show rattles your religious belief then it’s you who has to work on strengthening your value system not become ‘propaganda teacher’ for others,” Pannu had tweeted after the Centre roped in celebrities to counter the criticism on social media.
Various politicians such as Maharashtra Cabinet minister Nawab Malik, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised the raids.
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