Tamil Nadu BJP president said that ED shouldn’t be criticised for the actions of an individual.
Enforcement Directorate [IANS]
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been facing severe criticism after its official Ankit Tiwari was caught ‘red-handed’ while accepting bribe of Rs 20 lakh in Tamil Nadu. Tiwari was arrested on Friday by Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption (DVAC) police while taking bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a government doctor for settling a case filed against him by the ED.
Reacting to Tiwari’s arrest, the ruling DMK wondered if the ED stood for “Extortion Department”. DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran said that the incident has shattered public’s faith in government institutions.
“The Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption police , Tamil Nadu have arrested an ED Officer for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹20 Lakh in Dindigul. This shatters the faith citizens have in public institutions, making one wonder if ED stands for Extortion Department or Enforcement Directorate after being systematically misused by the BJP government to brazenly terrorize and extort political opponents and critics across the country,” the DMK MP wrote on X.
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According to the DVAC, Tiwari had threatened and demanded Rs 3 crore in bribe to avert legal action in a case that had already been disposed. He later brought down the demand to 51 lakh and caught by DVAC officials while accepting Rs 20 lakh in first installment.
Tiwari was produced in the court and has been sent to judicial custody till December 15.
BJP defends ED
Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Tamil Nadu unit chief K Annamalai today said that the central probe agency shouldn’t be held accountable for the actions of one individual.
“Yesterday, DVAC arrested one person from the ED department. He was produced before the court and sent for judicial custody. This is not the first time and this isn’t the last time either. Earlier too, many have been caught and arrested from specialized agencies like CBI and ED in states like Rajasthan, West Bengal and Delhi. Recently, a similar incident happened in Rajasthan…We can’t blame the ED for a single individual’s mistake,” he said.
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