National Herald case: Congress holds pan-India protests against ED's 'political thuggery'

Senior leaders and workers protested in front of ED and other central government offices in state capitals and district headquarters across the country against the 'state-sponsored crime' and many were detained by police. Senior leaders like Sachin Pilot, Imran Pratapgarhi and Gurdeep Sappal were present at the protest in the AICC office on Akbar Road in New Delhi.

New Delhi: As party leaders and workers protested against the ED chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case across the country, Congress on Wednesday said the case is based on a “fake narrative”, as it insisted that no money or property of Associated Journals Ltd was transferred to Young Indian controlled by the Gandhis.

Senior leaders and workers protested in front of ED and other central government offices in state capitals and district headquarters across the country against the “state-sponsored crime” and many were detained by police. Senior leaders like Sachin Pilot, Imran Pratapgarhi and Gurdeep Sappal were present at the protest in the AICC office on Akbar Road here.

Sharing images of protests on ‘X’, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said, “when Modi is scared, he brings forward ED... It is nothing but the BJP’s fear of a rising, revived Congress under Kharge-ji and Rahul-ji’s leadership that is driving such actions. We stand behind our leaders and will oppose all attempts at intimidation in double measure in the days ahead.”

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said the attempt is to divert attention from challenges faced by the Modi government on economic and foreign policy fronts. Without naming anyone, he alleged that the masterminds were “two people with criminal mindset”.

Addressing a press conference, senior lawyer-MP Abhishek Singhvi said there is “not a whiff of crime” in the National Herald case, which is based on a “fake issue” and “fake narrative” meant to “deviate and digress” from issues plaguing the country like unemployment, falling GDP and social unrest that cannot be answered.

As the ED named Sonia and Rahul of entering into a conspiracy to usurp AJL properties, Singhvi said a money laundering case has been made out without any transfer of money or property.

Over the decades, he said, AJL received around Rs 90 crore loans from the Congress and when the question of reviving it came, it was decided to transfer the debt to a not-for-profit company Young Indian Ltd in which Sonia and Rahul had 38 per cent shares each. He said the debt was converted into equity, as is the legal practice adopted usually by several other companies.

Though Young Indian became the majority shareholder, he said the ownership of properties remained with AJL. He also said none of the Directors of Young Indian got dividend or salary or any other perks following this and “no property was bought or sold.”

Describing the case as “vendetta in legal disguise”, Singhvi said, “selective justice is nothing but political thuggery...This is the eighth wonder of the world, it is mocking justice, it represents the politics of vendetta.”

Ramesh added, “for the last two days, politics of vendetta, harassment and intimidation has been going on. The Congress leadership has been deliberately targeted...We will not be silent. We cannot be silenced. Whatever the prime minister and home minister do, we will not stay silent and we will keep raising these issues of the people.”