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Aim to target INDIA: Oppn on extension to ED chief
July 28, 2023

The opposition slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre on Friday over the extension of the tenure of Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15, alleging that this was done with "ulterior political motives" and was aimed at targeting the leaders of the INDIA bloc with "false cases" to weaken the alliance.

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended Mishra's tenure till the midnight of September 15 in larger "public and national interest", after the Centre asserted that his continuity is necessary in view of the ongoing FATF peer review and attempts by India's neighbours to ensure that the country gets into the "grey" list.

The top court, which initially made a sharp observation and asked "are we not giving a picture that there is no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people", subsequently relented and accepted the Centre's request for extending Mishra's tenure, but for a month less than what was sought.

Addressing a joint press conference outside Parliament, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha alleged that Mishra was given the extension despite an illegality.

"It has been done for ulterior political motives. There is talk on the corridors of power that there will be an attempt to break the INDIA alliance by resorting to lies. We know about this and we want to tell this to the government," he said.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said the Supreme Court asking whether there is "no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people" was telling.

"There is an attempt to oblige one person and there is a conspiracy to trap opposition leaders in false cases," he alleged.

The Congress's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, also referred to the apex court's observation and wondered why Mishra was given an extension for only a month and a half and what would happen in this period.

"They (BJP) did everything to destabilise governments in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand, but failed politically. Now, they are using agencies and want to slap false cases on opposition leaders.... INDIA has come to the fore and is saying BJP gaddi choro (quit power)," he said. -- PTI
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