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The political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress intensified on Wednesday, following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and five others in the National Herald money laundering case.
The case, initiated by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy years ago, has once again grabbed national attention ahead of its hearing scheduled for April 25 in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court.
BJP Launches Scathing Attack
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a sharp attack against the Gandhis, accusing them of misappropriating public properties originally meant for the National Herald newspaper, and converting it into what he called a “private ATM” for the family.
“This isn’t a protest—it’s a cover-up. The Congress has the right to protest, but it does not have the right to misuse public properties,” Prasad said, claiming a “corporate conspiracy” was devised through Young India Ltd. to acquire prime properties in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Bhopal, and Patna.
He alleged that the Congress party had transferred Rs 90 crore to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of National Herald, and subsequently wrote off the loan for a mere Rs 50 lakh, transferring AJL’s property to Young India, where Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi hold 76% shares jointly.
“Young India was supposed to be a charitable body. What charity has it done so far? None beats this family in commerce—write off Rs 90 crore for Rs 50 lakh and acquire properties worth thousands of crores,” he added.
Congress Dismisses Charges as ‘Fake, Political’
Reacting strongly to the ED’s move and BJP’s statements, the Congress termed the prosecution complaint as “baseless and politically motivated.”
Congress leader Udit Raj said, “This is a fake, illegal chargesheet, an attempt to divert public attention. The BJP government is afraid of Congress’s revival and is misusing agencies like the ED and CBI for political vendetta.”
Andhra Pradesh Congress chief YS Sharmila accused the BJP of misusing central agencies as “personal weapons,” branding the ruling party as the “Brusht Jumla Party.”
In a statement, the Congress declared, “This is a murder of democracy. The time is coming when the people of India will file a chargesheet against the BJP. The nation is being looted for the benefit of a few like Adani.”
ED’s Charges and the Road Ahead
The ED has filed its chargesheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), naming Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others linked with Congress. The agency had earlier interrogated senior Congress leaders, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan remarked, “This isn’t Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. This is Modi’s Bharat, where no one is above the Constitution. If there’s nothing to hide, why panic?”
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