Beware! You will be ED-ed!

It is common knowledge that even before the election season started, the Enforcement Directorate and what it has come to symbolise have become a constant theme in political discourse. But it looks like the popularity (or notoriety) of the agency is here to stay and the way things are shaping up, the verb ‘ED-ed’ (meaning “to be raided by a government agency or face other kinds of sanctions for an alleged breach of law”) could be the next biggest contribution of India to the English lexicon after ‘Bangalored’.

Hard to believe? Sample this. Recently, in an audio clip purportedly released by the police department and circulated widely on social media in Tamil Nadu, an official could be heard warning the public: “Do not share your sensitive info with anyone over phone or online. The scamsters may even threaten you that if you don’t do what they ask you to do, you will be raided by the ED. But don’t fall for it!” So what’s next? A people’s choice award for ED for beating other agencies like CBI and income-tax department hands down?

Sage advice

Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO, offered valuable advice to emerging domestic start-ups at the inaugural Startup Mahakumbh in the capital. He emphasised the importance of prioritising good corporate governance over celebrity endorsements, urging start-ups to concentrate on sustainable growth and profitability. Start-ups would do well to focus on growth and path to profitability rather than jumping to sign up Lionel Messis of the world as their brand ambassador, he quipped. Kant’s example rings a bell, doesn’t it?

Work from ‘Home’

In an unprecedented twist that’s got all of Delhi buzzing, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, now a guest of Tihar Jail due to the excise policy kerfuffle, is gearing up to convene cabinet meetings virtually from his new, less-than-luxurious quarters. As whispers turn into loud chatter among Delhi’s business circles, the move has been met with a mix of scepticism and bewildered amusement. Will the CM’s new ‘office’ bring about a reformative approach to governance, or will it simply add more drama to the already sensational story of Delhi’s political landscape?

The buzz is real, and the stakes are high. Delhi awaits its next cabinet meeting, which might just set a new precedent for remote working — Tihar style.

Cheap politics?

As the country gears up for the upcoming general elections, the way the NDA Government is using law-enforcing agencies like the Enforcement Directorate to hound the Opposition parties, is becoming a debate. Congress, which is part of the INDIA block delegation that appealed to the Election Commission to restrain the government from hounding the Opposition leaders.

Recently, Chief Minister of Telangana, A Revanth Reddy alleged that the BJP and BRS are on the same page and termed the arrest of BRS leader K Kavitha by the ED as a “cheap political tactic”. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad he had said: “This is clearly done for political gains... Usually, ED comes, and then Modi comes. Yesterday, both of them came at the same time. This is cheap political tactics.”

Our Bureaus

comment COMMENT NOW