Archive · 17 Jan 2026
Concerns Over Selective Targeting of Opposition by Investigative Agencies
Some people think that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India are only investigating and raiding Opposition parties, especially before elections.
They say that these agencies are not being fair because they are not investigating the ruling party as much.
About 95% of the cases these agencies have opened are against Opposition parties.
Also, many ministers in the current government have criminal cases against them, but they are not being investigated as much.
This makes people worry that the agencies are being used for political reasons, not for justice.
To fix this, people suggest making the agencies more independent and having stronger rules to make sure they are fair.
Investigative agencies like the ED and CBI are accused of selectively targeting Opposition parties, especially before elections.
About 95% of cases opened by these agencies since 2014 are against Opposition parties.
The number of raids by the ED has increased dramatically from around a hundred pre-2014 to several thousand post-2014.
29 out of 72 ministers in the current government have criminal cases against them, but they are not being investigated as rigorously.
There are calls for structural reforms to make investigative agencies more independent and impartial.
- Who
- Investigative agencies (ED, CBI) and Opposition parties (TMC, AAP, DMK)
- What
- Perceived selective targeting of Opposition parties by investigative agencies
- When
- Primarily before elections, with a significant increase post-2014
- Where
- India, with specific actions in West Bengal, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu
- Why
- Concerns about the impartiality and independence of investigative agencies, and the impact on democratic fairness
- Agencies Involved
- Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
- Opposition Parties Targeted
- Trinamul Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
- Percentage of Cases Against Opposition
- Roughly 95%
- Increase in ED Raids
- From around a hundred (pre-2014) to several thousand (post-2014)
- Ministers with Criminal Cases
- 29 out of 72 (as of mid-2025)
- Key Issue
- Perception of bias in investigative agencies
- Potential Solutions
- Structural reforms, judicial oversight, transparent protocols