Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav recently said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) should be shut down. He criticized the ED for questioning Congress leaders in different cases. In response, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya strongly replied to his statement.
Keshav Maurya said that Akhilesh Yadav wants to end a constitutional agency like ED because he believes more in ‘lathi-rule’ (goonda governance) than in courts and law. He wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), “Instead of democracy, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav believes in ‘lathait’ (muscleman) rule. That’s why he openly supports shutting down constitutional institutions.”
What Did Akhilesh Yadav Say?
Recently, the ED has been in the news for filing a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. This has heated up political tensions in the country. The opposition accused the ruling BJP of using ED to trouble political opponents.
When reporters asked Akhilesh Yadav about the ED’s actions, he replied that the Congress party itself had created ED, and now it is causing them trouble. He further said that there is no need for a department like ED when other agencies already exist for dealing with financial crimes. “This department should be shut down,” he said.
Keshav Maurya’s Reaction
Keshav Maurya strongly disagreed with Akhilesh Yadav’s statement. He accused him of not believing in democratic systems. According to Maurya, Akhilesh only supports ideas that suit him and tries to defend criminals by attacking law agencies.
In short, this heated exchange has once again highlighted the ongoing political fight between the ruling party and the opposition over the role and use of agencies like the ED in the country.
