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J’khand Cong protests outside BJP headquarters against ‘harassment’ of party leaders
Jharkhand Congress protests against PM Modi and Amit Shah, demanding their resignations over alleged misuse of ED in National Herald case against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) sought resignation from PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah while protesting against the BJP-led Central government outside the party headquarters here, alleging ‘harassment’ of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi with the help of ED in the National Herald case.
“After the court’s order, PM Modi and home minister of the country, Amit Shah, have no right to remain in their position; they should immediately resign,” said JPCC president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh amid presence of 500 Congress workers and leaders, who reached BJP state headquarters in Harmu.
Mahto accused the Centre of misusing central agencies for tarnishing the image of Congress party and its senior leaders without registering any FIR in National Herald case.
“The government has shamelessly misused central agencies without even filing an FIR. The Modi government tried to frame a false case against Sonia Gandhi and LoP Rahul Gandhi with the help of ED, attempting to tarnish their reputation and that of the Congress party, but the court dismissed the case, upholding the dignity of the judiciary and the constitution,” Mahto said.
Mahto said the Centre crossed all limits of repressive action and the court had exposed the central government and the BJP.
“The Centre is continuously targeting Congress and opposition leaders with the help of ED and CBI, and is using the fear of the ED to intimidate elected representatives in non-BJP ruled states. The Centre has crossed all limits of repressive actions, and the court has exposed it and the BJP before the 150 crore people of the country,” Mahto said.
Mahto pointed out loopholes in ED’s action. He said it was the first PMLA case in the country registered on a criminal complaint by an individual.
“This is the rarest of cases where neither any money transaction took place nor any property was transferred, yet the ED registered a money laundering case. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were subjected to continuous questioning for hours in the name of investigation, in an attempt to mentally harass them. This is probably the only PMLA case in the country that has been registered on a criminal complaint by an individual, as PMLA cases are usually registered based on complaints by constitutional agencies or police,” he said.
Those present during the protest included state congress co-in-charge Siribella Prasad, Congress legislative party chief Pradeep Yadav and former president Rajesh Thakur besides others.
Meanwhile, the BJP termed the protest a political drama aimed at covering up corruption and evading the law.
“The protest staged by the Congress party outside the Jharkhand state BJP office in Ranchi regarding the National Herald case is nothing but a failed political drama aimed at covering up corruption and evading the law,” said Ajay Roy, a member of the BJP Jharkhand state executive committee and convener of the Media Liaison wing of the party.
Roy said the National Herald case was not political vendetta, but a serious economic crime involving a scam worth crores, which was being investigated by independent and constitutional institutions of the country. “The Congress leadership should understand that the law of the land is equal for everyone, regardless of how powerful a political family they belong to,” he said.
Roy said it was not BJP but Congress which has misused investigating agencies for decades while in power.
“The same Congress party, which misused investigative agencies for decades while in power, is now invoking democracy and the constitution when it is itself facing legal scrutiny. This protest by the Congress proves that it has no legal defence left, only the strategy of creating a ruckus on the streets,” he said.
