Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after a Delhi court declined to take cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case, which named senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should resign, calling the court’s decision “a slap in the face” of the two leaders. He alleged that the National Herald case was initiated with the sole objective of harassing the Gandhi family and weakening the Congress through political vendetta.
“This verdict exposes the falsehood behind the BJP’s claims. The case was pursued out of political revenge and malice. There is nothing substantial in it,” Kharge said, adding that the government has repeatedly misused central agencies like the ED to target opposition leaders for political gain.
Kharge also defended the legacy of the National Herald newspaper, stating that it was founded in 1938 by freedom fighters and accusing the BJP of attempting to defame it by linking it to allegations of money laundering. “This is not about law, it is about intimidation,” he said.
On Tuesday, a special court at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue refused to take judicial cognisance of the ED’s prosecution complaint. Special Judge Vishal Gogne observed that it was impermissible in law to proceed with the complaint as it was not founded on a valid First Information Report (FIR). The court further remarked that the ED’s case reflected an overreach and an ill-advised interpretation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Welcoming the court’s decision, Kharge said, “Truth has triumphed. The verdict has come in favour of justice.” He reiterated that the Congress would continue to oppose what it describes as the misuse of investigative agencies and called on the government to be held accountable for targeting political opponents.
