Congress terms ED chargesheet against Gandhis ‘political vendetta’, holds protest

A large number of Congress supporters on Wednesday gathered outside Enforcement Directorate (ED) offices across the country to protest the fresh chargesheet filed against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case.

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The Congress had called for nationwide protests on Tuesday evening, denouncing the ED’s chargesheet as a case of “political vendetta”. The party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of going “berserk” in targeting the opposition. The ED filed the chargesheet before a special PMLA court, naming the Gandhis in its ongoing money laundering probe.

According to the ED, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, along with other accused, acquired the assets of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) — the publisher of the National Herald newspaper — for Rs 50 lakh, a fraction of their alleged market value of Rs 2,000 crore. The agency claimed the assets were taken over by Young Indian, a not-for-profit company controlled by the Gandhis.

AJL was originally founded by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Protests were also held at the district level outside Central government offices, with hundreds of Congress workers participating.

In Delhi, a major demonstration took place at the Congress headquarters at 24 Akbar Road, where senior leaders, including Sachin Pilot and Imran Pratapgarhi, joined the protest. Party workers raised slogans against the BJP-led Central Government, calling the ED action “politically motivated”.

As protesters attempted to march towards India Gate, a heavy police deployment near the Congress office blocked their movement. Barricades were installed and several Congress workers were detained and taken away in police buses.

Speaking at the protest, Pilot called the ED action “politically motivated”.

“There is no transaction, no transfer of property or assets —there is no case. We will fight this out legally,” Pilot said, adding that Rahul and Sonia Gandhi were being “purposefully targeted” to suppress opposition voices.

Rajya Sabha MP Pratapgarhi linked the ED’s action to the recent meeting of the Congress Working Committee held in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Modi.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, a poster was seen outside the AJL House in Bandra calling for its demolition. The poster, reading “Deva Bhau, Bulldozer Chalao”, featured images of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Reacting to the protests, the BJP hit back at the Congress, with BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad saying, “While the Congress has every right to protest, it cannot justify the misappropriation of public property allotted to the National Herald.”

Centre misusing agencies: NSUI

The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) on Wednesday staged a protest in the national capital against the ED’s chargesheet in the National Herald case. Led by NSUI national president Varun Choudhary, the protest saw hundreds of student activists and youth leaders from Congress-affiliated organisations marching and raising slogans against what they termed as the “BJP government’s political vendetta.”

Addressing the gathering, Choudhary said: “The moment Rahul Gandhi started raising critical issues such as paper leaks and student concerns in Gujarat, the BJP government launched a direct attack on him through the ED. This chargesheet is not about justice, it’s about silencing those who question the government.”

He alleged that the BJP was using investigative agencies to crush dissent and suppress the growing popularity of Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA alliance. “This is not just a case against two individuals, it’s a calculated attack on democratic principles and constitutional values,” Choudhary said.