Why 98% PMLA cases in last 8 years? Congress asks Govt; cites The Tribune report

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14

Ahead of commencement of Rahul Gandhi’s questioning by the Enforcement Directorate for the second day, the opposition Congress questioned PMLA case trends asking why 98 per dent cases were registered in the last eight years of the ruling BJP government alone.

AICC general secretary and media head Randeep Surjewala cited The Tribune report which says out of 5422 cases registered by the ED since 2002 when the PMLA was enacted, 5310 were registered in the last eight years with less than one per cent convictions.

“What does this say about the ED?” Surjewala asked, terming the ongoing money laundering matter in the National Herald case against Rahul Gandhi as “illegal, unconstitutional and driven by political vendetta.”

Surjewala said Rahul was being attacked because he was the fearless voice of the people and routinely flagged matters of national interest.

Surjewala, who, along with other senior Congress persons, was again detained by Delhi police while trying to March to ED office in Rahul’s support, asked some questions of the government: “Why is Rahul and Congress on BJP target? Is this a conspiracy to muzzle the voice of the people? Has Rahul Gandhi become a hurdle in PM‘s way of protecting the interests of crony capitalists?”

Surjewala named several opposition leaders who had previously faced probe agency heat but got their names cleared after joining the BJP.

The Congress said the government was acting out of vendetta as it was scared of Rahul’s “fearless politics.”

“When China intruded into India and PM said there has been no intrusion, Rahul questioned the PM. Today even after two years, China is in the Indian territory. Rahul Gandhi has been constantly cornering the government on inflation, declining jobs, MSME challenge, falling rupee. That’s why there’s a problem with Gandhi. He forced the government to review Covid strategy including ensuring free vaccination, spoke for migrant workers and agitating farmers and for pluralism. That’s why he is being attacked,” Surjewala said, calling the ED case an attack “on the opposition voice which fearlessly raises the concerns of the people.”

Surjewala asked why there was no probe agency heat on Himanta Biswa Sarma, Narayan Rane, Somen Mitra, BS Yedyurappa, Raman Singh, Mukul Roy and Suvendu Adhikari?

Insisting there had been no wrongdoing in the matter, Surjewala said an ED summons requires an FIR or an active court case. “Here there’s no FIR. Petitioner Subramanian Swamy has himself gotten stay on his private complaint. So where’s the case?” asked Surjewala.

He said Rs 90 crore loan was given for salaries of National Herald staffers and for bills.“If paying bills is a crime, all Indians will be in jail,” said the Congress leader.

Surjewala also attacked the government for allegedly sending “content to TV channels to run” and said why does the government not install cameras in Rahul Gandhi’s interrogation room and permit everyone to see the process.

Surjewala also asked if India was a democracy or a dictatorship noting, “In Delhi 20,000 Congress persons were arrested and nationally 5 lakh courted arrests.”

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