Are India’s corruption police targeting Narendra Modi’s critics?

The Enforcement Directorate used to be a sleepy corner of India’s finance ministry. Mandated to investigate money-laundering and foreign-exchange violations, it rarely made headlines under the previous government, a coalition led by the Congress party, which ruled from 2004 to 2014. Its record on money-laundering—a big problem in India—was particularly lacklustre: it conducted only 112 raids and failed to achieve a single conviction.

Under Narendra Modi, the ED (as it is known) has become one of India’s most feared agencies. Since he became prime minister in 2014 it has conducted more than 3,000 money-laundering raids and secured 54 convictions. Most controversially, especially in the run-up to a general election due by May, it has targeted dozens of opposition politicians, including at least five party leaders—while largely steering clear of bigwigs in Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On January 31st ED officers arrested Hemant Soren, chief minister of the eastern state of Jharkhand, on suspicion of money-laundering. Mr Soren, who denies wrongdoing, leads one of the 27 parties in the main opposition alliance.