ED has become 'weapon of mass destruction': Congress MP Karti Chidambaram

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Tuesday claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has become a "weapon of mass destruction" and would be known as the "hatchet agency" of the government.

He made these remarks while hitting out at the BJP government for the ED raids at the head office of the Congress party-owned National Herald newspaper here and 11 other locations as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation, a week after it questioned Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

Comparing ED with Stasi of East Germany and Schutzstaffel of Nazi Germany, Chidambaram said, "During second world war, Stasi was used as hatchet agency for East Germany and Schutzstaffel by Nazi Germany. When the history of this country is written, the ED will be known as the hatchet agency of the BJP."

"The ED has now become a weapon of mass destruction. And the entire exercise of the ED is only to embarrass or humiliate political opponents," he alleged.

He further said they are being harassed for the transactions which have been captured in the books of accounts and income tax returns filed.

"I can't see any reason why an agency would want to raid premises after 12 years. Even by law, you're not required to keep financial records beyond eight years. So this is only for the voyeuristic pleasure of certain people who want to see the opposition being crushed, humiliated and harassed," Chidambaram said.