Only ten days are left for the first phase of voting. Meanwhile, the names of anti-corruption agencies are appearing in election slogans. In the politics of portraying oneself as spotless, everyone is calling others thieves and reminding us to send the corrupt to jail. On one hand, the strength of democracy is being guaranteed with action against the corrupt, while on the other hand, politics is going on over the fear of democracy being turned into a prison system in the same action. 

In this context, TMC protested outside the Election Commission on Monday to remove the heads of all the investigating agencies. Ten TMC leaders were seen sitting outside the Election Commission office. These leaders were protesting demanding the removal of heads of investigating agencies. After this, the police picked him up and took him to the police station in front of the Commission's office. After this, all the leaders sat on strike in the police station itself. 

TMC alleged that Delhi Police took all of them into custody. Whereas Delhi Police rejected these allegations. Delhi's Mandir Marg police station said that we have not detained anyone. The leaders are free to go. They are sitting inside the police station. On the other hand, a 10-member TMC delegation led by Abhishek Banerjee met Bengal Governor Dr. CV Anand Bose. Banerjee criticized the Election Commission for not taking action against the NIA SP in Bengal. Banerjee says that the Governor has assured her to take action on this.

There are four agencies in the country-

CBI- Formed in 1963. 
ED- Made in 1956. 
NIA- formed in 2008.
Income Tax Department has been in existence since before independence. 

The 2024 elections are revolving around these four agencies. The reason is, on one hand, the BJP is saying that the investigating agencies are working independently to crack down on the corrupt, while on the other hand, the opposition is alleging that the ruling party is using the agencies to break the back of the opposition. In the complaint that TMC leaders have given to the Election Commission regarding this, they have said that the Election Commission should immediately change the directors of the investigating agencies, because because of them, there is not a level playing field i.e. fairness in the elections. 

Why protest against investigating agencies?

Now it comes to the question of why there are protests against ED, CBI, NIA, and the Income Tax Department. So to understand this, first we need to pay attention to the big news of Monday. The reason, on Monday ED, called Aam Aadmi Party MLA Durgesh Pathak for questioning in Delhi's liquor scam. On Monday itself, ED called Kejriwal's assistant Vibhav, and interrogated him.

On Monday itself, ED summoned Uddhav's party's candidate from North-West Mumbai, Amol Kirtikar, to appear in the Khichdi scam. In all these cases and even before this, regarding the action of the investigating agencies, leaders of many parties including Mamata Banerjee have been alleging that the government is trying to eliminate the opposition by arresting it between and after the elections.

Abhishek Banerjee targeted BJP

After meeting the Governor, Abhishek Banerjee said that the way women MPs and leaders were dragged, was murder of democracy. The Election Commission is responsible for this. The machinery is now under the Election Commission, that is why I am saying this. Our leaders were sitting peacefully, did they have weapons? We went to the Election Commission and asked them to let the government do its job and rebuild the houses destroyed in the storm in Jalpaiguri. We went for approval. We also wanted to know why NIA SP DR Singh, who met a BJP leader at his residence after the implementation of the model code of conduct, was not removed. Can officers be changed only on BJP's complaint? Nothing when we show evidence? 

'Why will the NIA director not be changed?'

He said that those who think that NIA and ED will be used before voting, NIA will vote? They are not. able to field candidates on 2 seats. P for ED and NIA directors on these two seats. The Governor has been requested to write to the Election Commission in this regard. If the DG of Bengal can be changed at the behest of BJP without any evidence then why will the Director of NIA not be changed? The Governor of Bengal has said that he will take up the matter with the Election Commission on Tuesday. He believes in fair play.