New Delhi:
BJP on Thursday said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) searches at DMK leader M K Stalin's residence is an example of the "blatant" misuse of power by the UPA government for its survival and proves that it uses the probe agency to muzzle allies who are walking out of the ruling coalition.
"The CBI raids on Stalin in the imported cars case vindicate BJP's charges that Congress has been blatantly misusing CBI to survive in government. Today CBI is indeed the Congress Bureau of Investigation," party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.
He alleged that while there are "endless charges" of corruption against Congress, it is attempting to "muzzle" voices of its alliance partners who plan to abandon it.
"This raid on Stalin, heir apparent to the DMK, is a message to BSP and SP that if they desert the UPA government they are going to meet the same fate," Mr Rudy said.
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP supremo Ms Mayawati are facing cases of disproportionate assets which are investigated by CBI.
BJP leader Balbir Punj accused Congress of resorting to "tricks" again and said that it is an "obvious case" of misuse of the investigating agency.
"This needs to be condemned by everybody because it does not bode well for the democracy of this country...And this Emergency mindset continues...
"The country will take cognisance of that and fight against it," Mr Punj said, adding that he could not speak on the merits of the charges which have been levelled against Mr Stalin.