Mumbai, Aug 2 (IANS): Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole has accused the BJP government at the Centre of trying to 'eliminate' the Opposition parties with acts such as the raids at the National Herald's office in Delhi on Tuesday.

Patole said the central probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Income Tax Department have now become branches of the BJP government which are being misused at the behest of saffron party leaders.

"After repeatedly harassing Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the name of investigation, they have now carried out raids at the National Herald office. This crackdown is nothing but an outcome of political vendetta," Patole said.

He also accused the BJP of taking away the independence of the central probe agencies, which are now only busy harassing the Opposition parties across the country in the name of alleged corruption.

"National Herald is an institution founded by great leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Purushottam Tandon, Acharya Narendra Deve and Rafi Ahmad Kidwai during the British rule. Post-Independence, it continued despite losses to support the idea of democracy, Constitution and the Congress," Patole pointed out.

He claimed that not a single rupee has been transacted in the National Herald case and the Gandhi family is being harassed to divert the country's attention from major problems like inflation and unemployment.

Patole also slammed BJP President J.P. Nadda's recent statement that all political parties in the country will be wiped out and only his party would remain, claiming that the actions against the Opposition are intended to suppress their voices.

"The Congress is not scared of these tactics and it will continue to speak out in the interest of the people. The BJP must remember that the mighty British were finally compelled by the Congress to leave the country. No matter how many atrocities are committed by the BJP, the Congress will reply to them through the democratic process," said Patole.

Several other Congress leaders from all over India have slammed the BJP for the recent interrogation of the Gandhis by the ED and for the raids at the the National Herald office on Tuesday, terming them as an outcome of the ruling party's policy of 'revenge' against the Opposition.