Did Congress Celebrate the Court's Ruling on the National Herald Case?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Dec 17 (NationPress) Congress officials expressed their support on Wednesday following a Delhi court's rejection of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) money laundering allegations against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald matter, labeling the investigation as politically driven.
A special press conference was convened in New Delhi, featuring party president Mallikarjun Kharge and prominent leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and K.C. Venugopal.
During the briefing, Abhishek Manu Singhvi remarked, “In this instance, due to political power, accusations were rampant while laws were disregarded.” He outlined the history of the investigations, indicating, “Between 2021-2025, the ED questioned Rahul Gandhi for 50 hours, Kharge ji for 5-6 hours, and Sonia ji for 7-8 hours.”
Singhvi further noted that the case had been ongoing for years: “This saga began in 2014 with private complainant Subramanian Swamy, who continuously communicated with the CBI and ED. From 2014 to 2021, for seven years, both agencies documented that no predicate offence existed. I base this on official documents.”
He elaborated on the legal context: “The CBI is responsible for predicting offences, while the ED handles money laundering. Both agencies reached a joint agreement, stating in paragraph 232 that no FIR could be generated in this case due to the absence of a predicate offence. Yet, an FIR was filed on June 30, 2021. If this isn't a case of political malice, then what is?”
Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the utilization of investigative bodies for political gains.
“The National Herald case was initiated with the purpose of political vendetta. This publication wasn't established yesterday; it was founded by freedom fighters for independence. However, individuals are now employing the CBI and ED to tarnish and disrupt, particularly targeting the Gandhi family,” stated Kharge.
“Issues lacking substance are being artificially inflated to harass our Congress leaders. They have exploited ED cases politically, swaying numerous MPs to form governments in various regions. Today, justice has prevailed. We welcome this ruling, affirming ‘Satyamev Jayate,’” he added.
This press conference followed the Delhi court's earlier ruling on Tuesday, which dismissed the ED's complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, declaring the case was based on a private complaint from BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and not on a first information report (FIR), thereby rendering it legally invalid.
The Congress leaders maintained that this judgment reaffirmed the judiciary's independence and highlighted the need to refrain from misusing investigative agencies for political agendas.