Congress stages protest outside ED office in Hyderabad for filing chargesheet against Sonia, Rahul in National Herald case

Hyderabad: Congress leaders staged a dharna in front of the ED office in Hyderabad protesting the inclusion of names of senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald FIR.

Congress ministers participated in the protest, denouncing the cases as a deliberate distraction from pressing public issues.

Telangana's Minister for IT and Industries, Duddilla Sridhar Babu, accused the BJP of engaging in vindictive politics merely to divert public attention from its own failures.

They condemned the inclusion of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the charge sheet related to the National Herald case. They questioned the motive behind reviving a 12-year-old case, suggesting it was a calculated move to silence the Congress party for raising its voice against urgent national issues such as rising inflation, the falling value of the rupee in global markets, and increasing unemployment.

"Prime Minister Modi and the BJP government at the Center are afraid of Rahul Gandhi. The BJP fears the AICC Plenary resolution demanding ballot papers instead of EVM machines nationwide. People will elect Congress to protect democracy. The country stands with the Gandhi family who have made sacrifices for the nation," said Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka.

He explained that the BJP and Prime Minister Modi are fearful of the decisions taken at the AICC Plenary meeting in Gujarat under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. He highlighted that in Congress-ruled Telangana, they conducted a caste census revealing that 56% of the population consists of Backward Classes. The census not only provided statistics about various social sections but also identified asset and resource distribution patterns, clarifying which resources should be allocated to whom. According to Vikramarka, Modi is threatened by Rahul Gandhi's call to implement this policy nationwide.

He argued that if a nationwide caste census similar to Telangana's were conducted, the national wealth and resources currently benefiting Modi's associates like Ambani and Adani would need to be distributed among the oppressed and marginalized sections of society. Fearing the implications for BJP's corporate-dependent future, they have filed false cases against AICC leaders Rahul and Sonia as part of a conspiracy to prevent the caste census across the country.

Vikramarka also noted that AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a return to ballot papers instead of EVM machines nationwide at the AICC Plenary. He claimed that due to alleged manipulations through EVM machines, ordinary citizens are losing faith in democracy, and the Modi government fears the AICC Plenary resolution to restore ballot papers and rebuild that trust.

He asserted that BJP leaders and Prime Minister Modi, intimidated by Rahul's challenge "We are coming to Gujarat in the upcoming elections, be ready Narendra Modi," are harassing him with ED investigations under fabricated charges to impede his political momentum.

Questioning the legitimacy of the cases, he asked if it was fair to prosecute individuals for collecting funds through contributions to pay National Herald employees' salaries and utility bills. He urged journalists nationwide to expose these allegedly false ED cases filed by the BJP against Congress leaders who have consistently supported the press.

He added that the people of India stand firmly with the Gandhi family, who have made tremendous sacrifices for the nation, and called upon Congress supporters to defeat what he described as a conspiracy to demoralize party ranks through false cases against Sonia and Rahul.