BJP damaged reputation of Central agencies: Cong on arrest of ED official in TN

NEW DELHI: Congress on Saturday slammed the BJP after one officer of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was arrested in Tamil Nadu.

Congress said that the superstar campaigners of the BJP have stumbled again as it has strongly damaged the reputation of the central agencies by turning it into political tools to harass the Opposition.

“One of the superstar campaigners of the BJP has stumbled yet again, this time in Tamil Nadu,” Congress General Secretary (Communication) Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.

Recalling the arrest of an ED official in Rajasthan ahead of the assembly election, the Congress leader said that after an ED official was caught with Rs 15 lakh bribe in Rajasthan, another official of the ED was caught red-handed with Rs 20 lakh for extortion and bribery.

“The Modi government has completely damaged the reputation of ED or CBI or IT by turning them into political tools to harass and intimidate the Opposition and anyone who questions the government. Now its officers are running their own mini extortion rackets,” he said.

His remarks came after officials of Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption searched the office of ED in Madurai after arresting an officer of the central agency for allegedly extorting Rs 20 lakh from a state government employee.

In an unprecedented action, the DVAC officials arrested Ankit Tiwari on charges of demanding and accepting bribes from a government doctor, who is an accused in a disproportionate assets case.

The sleuths seized Rs 20 lakh cash from his car, which he had allegedly received as a bribe.

The ED official was then taken to the V&AC office in Dindigul for interrogation.

They later conducted searches at the ED's Madurai office and his residence late on Friday and reportedly seized several documents and later sent the officer to a 14-day judicial custody.

This is the first time in Tamil Nadu that an officer of ED has been arrested.