Bhubaneswar, Apr 16 (Reporter) Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday demanded the abolition of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), stating that the Income Tax Department already exists to tackle economic offences. Yadav, who arrived in Bhubaneswar to visit the Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri and offer prayers, told reporters here that there is no need for the ED and it should be abolished, as the BJP has been using it as a tool to harass opposition leaders and silence their voices. The SP supremo said the ED was established during the Congress regime, and at that time, several political parties, including the SP, had opposed its creation, fearing that it would cause trouble in the future. He added that many political parties have raised concerns over the existence of the ED, arguing that it is unnecessary when the Income Tax Department is already functioning. Yadav’s remarks came in response to a question regarding the ED filing a prosecution complaint against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. He also referred to incidents in Maharashtra, where, according to him, individuals opposing the BJP had to face ED, CBI, and Income Tax raids. When asked about his views on delimitation, the SP Chief said he supported the concerns of Tamil Nadu and other southern states. Akhilesh stated that he stands with the people of Tamil Nadu and demanded that delimitation should only be carried out after a caste census is conducted across the country. He alleged that no one knows what kind of delimitation the Bharatiya Janata Party will implement and claimed that it may be manipulated to benefit the BJP. Yadav further accused the party of ignoring geographical aspects in delimitation, citing the example of Jammu and Kashmir. The former UP Chief Minister also criticized the BJP, accusing it of attempting to weaken the Constitution and democracy in the country. He blamed the BJP for fomenting communal tension and riots, and urged all political parties to refrain from making statements related to religion or caste. Commenting on the “double-engine government” model promoted by the BJP as a means for state development, Yadav said that in Uttar Pradesh, internal conflicts within the BJP have rendered the model ineffective, with the “engines” and “compartments” colliding rather than working together...////...