As Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised the opposition and said it is not important who the ED director is as any director will take note of the 'rampant corruption of a cozy club of entitled dynasts', opposition leader Kapil Sibal asked why Sanjay Kumar Mishra was then granted a third extension. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi asked whether it was a threat coming from the Union home minister. The Supreme Court on Tuesday said Sanjay Kumar Mishra's extension as the ED director was illegal. Amit Shah said those who rejoiced over the Supreme Court verdict are "delusional for various reasons".
"Sanjay Mishra(ED) Chief
Supreme Court held extension till November invalid
Amit Shah: “ED is an institution which rises beyond any one individual..”
Then why did you give him a 3rd extension?
Some individuals serve the political interests of the party in power!" Kapil Sibal tweeted.
Sanjay Kumar Mishra was first appointed the ED director for two years in 2018. In 2020, his term was changed to three years retrospectively. Last year, the government promulgated an ordinance in which the tenure of the ED and the CBI chiefs could be extended up to three years after their two-year term. Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, spokesperson Saket Gokhale were among the petitioners against the extension of the ED director's term.
{{/usCountry}}Sanjay Kumar Mishra was first appointed the ED director for two years in 2018. In 2020, his term was changed to three years retrospectively. Last year, the government promulgated an ordinance in which the tenure of the ED and the CBI chiefs could be extended up to three years after their two-year term. Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, spokesperson Saket Gokhale were among the petitioners against the extension of the ED director's term.
{{/usCountry}}Read | Who is Sanjay Kumar Mishra, ED director whose 3rd extension SC termed ‘illegal’?
As the Supreme Court verdict was welcomed by the opposition that claims 'targetting' by the ED and CBI, Amit Shah said the powers of the ED to strike at those who are corrupt and on the wrong side of the law remain the same.
"ED is an institution which rises beyond any one individual and is focused on achieving its core objective - i.e. to investigate offences of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws," Amit Shah tweeted. "Thus, who the ED director is - that is not important because whoever assumes this role will take note of the rampant corruption of a cozy club of entitled dynasts who have an anti-development mindset," the union home miniser added.
"Is that a veiled threat from India’s Home Minister? That those rejoicing the SC order will have ED at their door (irrespective of who heads it)? Also with the tweet from HM it becomes obvious who is impacted the most from this SC order despite it not being in his domain. Was the ED director with illegal tenure extension working under the direction of the Home Minister?" Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted.