A delegation of the INDIA bloc on Friday met the Election Commission and submitted a memorandum alleging misuse of central agencies by the BJP-led government, in the wake of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate.

The delegation, including senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and senior party leader KC Venugopal, TMC MP Derek O’Brien, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak, NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awadh, urged the commission to “issue a circular ensuring that any further raids, investigations and arrests are first vetted and approved by it or a committee set up under it.”

It also requested ”to ensure the constitutional mandate of a level playing field and to prevent political parties in power from misusing the state machinery against the leaders and political parties contesting.”

Talking to reporters after meeting the top officials of the EC, Singhvi, who is also fighting Kejriwal’s legal battle in the court, “We pointed out to the EC that this is not a normal complaint. It’s a larger issue of affecting , impairing, undermining and sabotaging the basic structure of the Indian constitution.”

Referring to Kejriwal’s arrest, he said, “We pointed out that in the history of 75 years of independent India, the first time a sitting Chief Minister has been arrested.”

In a veiled attack on the ruling dispensation, Singhvi further said, “You use and misuse agencies blatantly. Why cannot the action be deferred (till MCC) ? What is the need to arrest him today ? Right in the middle of elections. It is because you want to win by unfair means before the first vote is cast.”

“We have given a list of recent 11 incidents (actions by probe agencies). Not a single person of the ruling party is affected. We told the EC that you have the constitutional powers, if you can appoint DGPs, heads of police, then why can’t you control the ED, CBI, and IT at least during the MCC period,’’ he added.

Meanwhile, CPI (M) general secretary Yechury in a post on X wrote, “A delegation of several parties of the INDIA grouping met the full Election Commission to register strong protest at the manner in which Delhi CM has been arrested by the ED, after the election process has begun and the Model Code of Conduct has been put in place.”

“We urged upon the Election Commission that just as it takes control of the administration/law and order to ensure the conduct of a free and fair election and a level playing field it should ensure that the central agencies are not misused against opposition leaders as this destroys the very essence of democracy,’’ he said.