Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint against Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has called for the abolition of the ED, arguing that other existing agencies such as the Income Tax Department and GST should be sufficient to handle economic offences.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Yadav stated, “In my understanding, a department like ED must be abolished. I will ask Congress to ask for the same thing. There are several institutions that look into economic offences. Having ED means that you are not even trusting your own organisations like the Income Tax department or GST.”
He added that during Congress’ tenure, many political parties had opposed the creation of the ED, warning that it could create problems for them in the future. Yadav emphasized that those who have spoken out against the BJP in Maharashtra have faced investigations from agencies like the ED, CBI, and Income Tax.
“The Congress itself made this ED law. At that time, many parties opposed it, telling Congress that you were bringing such a law that could ultimately cause trouble to you. Any leader who was against the BJP in Maharashtra faced ED, CBI, and the income tax department,” Yadav explained.
The remarks came amid a sharp critique from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who accused the BJP-led government of using the National Herald case to distract from its economic failures. Kharge asserted that the government was mismanaging the economy, lacking vision, and attempting to divert attention from its mistakes.
On Tuesday, the ED filed a prosecution complaint against several individuals, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Sam Pitroda, in connection with the alleged National Herald money laundering case. The case is scheduled for a hearing in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on April 25.
