Congress Protests Against ED Actions in Northeastern States Amid National Herald Case
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Synopsis
On April 16, Congress members protested outside ED offices in northeastern states against the BJP-led government's actions concerning the National Herald case. They accused the government of using the ED to suppress dissent and protect democracy.
Key Takeaways
- Congress protests against ED's charges against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
- Claims of political vendetta from the BJP-led government.
- Significant security presence during protests.
- Protests held in multiple northeastern states.
- Calls for protecting democracy from alleged government overreach.
Imphal/Kohima, April 16 (NationPress) Members of the Congress party gathered on Wednesday outside the Enforcement Directorate (ED) offices across various northeastern states to voice their opposition to what they termed the BJP-led Central government’s ‘politics of vendetta’. This protest was in response to the agency’s charges against prominent party figures, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, related to the National Herald case.
Congress representatives alleged that the charges were fabricated under the Central government's influence, targeting key figures like Sonia Gandhi, the party’s Parliamentary Party Chairperson, and Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition.
A significant presence of security personnel was noted outside the ED offices throughout the northeastern region.
In Imphal, numerous Congress supporters rallied outside the ED office, chanting slogans like ‘Sonia Gandhi Zindabad’, ‘Rahul Gandhi Zindabad’, ‘Tanashahi Nahi Chalegi’, ‘Modi-Shah jawab Do’, and ‘ED shame-shame’. Former Chief Minister and senior Congress member Okram Ibobi Singh, who served from 2002 to 2017, alongside Manipur state Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh, led the demonstrations.
In Agartala, the Tripura state Congress President Asish Kumar Saha, along with party MLAs Sudip Roy Barman and Gopal Roy, directed the protest near the ED office located on the outskirts of the city. While addressing the crowd, Roy Barman stated that the BJP leadership was intimidated by the growing popularity of Congress leaders. He emphasized that Rahul Gandhi would intensify his struggle against the BJP government to uphold democracy and the Constitution.
In Kohima, activists from the Nagaland Congress organized a protest in front of the ED office in the state capital. NPCC President S Supongmeren Jamir asserted that the party advocates for the rights of minorities, Other Backward Classes, tribal communities, and the general populace.
Jamir remarked, “The Central government, through the ED, is attempting to suppress Congress leaders. Wednesday's nationwide movement is crucial to defend democracy from RSS-BJP encroachments.”
Protests were similarly conducted in Assam and other northeastern regions.
On Tuesday, the ED submitted a chargesheet related to a money laundering investigation involving the National Herald publication. The chargesheet implicates several individuals, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey.
The case emerged from a 2014 complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, concerning the alleged acquisition of assets exceeding Rs 2,000 crore by Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of National Herald, and their subsequent transfer to Young Indian, a company where both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each possess a 38 percent stake.
