New Delhi [India]: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bansuri Swaraj made headlines on Tuesday as she arrived at the Parliament Annexe for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, carrying a bag emblazoned with the words “National Herald Ki Loot” — a pointed reference to the alleged money laundering case involving Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Her symbolic move follows the recent chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which implicates top Congress leaders in an alleged financial scam connected to the National Herald newspaper.
“This is the first time that corruption has taken place in the fourth pillar of democracy—media. The charge sheet filed by the ED highlights the old working style and ideology of the Congress party. In the guise of service, they make public institutions a tool to increase their personal property. This is a very serious matter,” Swaraj told ANI.
“The Congress party and its top leadership are accountable for this.”
The ED’s prosecution complaint, filed on April 15, names Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others, including multiple firms. The case falls under Sections 44, 45, and 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and was initiated on the basis of a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.
Congress Reacts Sharply
Congress leader Sukhdeo Bhagat hit back at Bansuri Swaraj’s gesture, accusing the BJP of resorting to diversionary tactics and attempting to tarnish the image of the Congress party.
“Bansuri Swaraj is a reputed leader. She should first tell where the loot happened. The Bharatiya Janata Party is scared of the word ‘BJP’ the way Britishers used to be scared,” said Bhagat.
“They are diverting people from the main issues. This is a deliberate attempt to defame the Congress leaders.”
This political flashpoint is the latest in a series of symbolic acts and counter-accusations between the two major national parties. In December last year, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stirred controversy by carrying a bag bearing the word ‘Palestine’, which drew sharp criticism from the BJP and was interpreted as ‘Muslim appeasement’ by party members.
As the National Herald case progresses and the debate around ‘One Nation, One Election’ intensifies, today’s events are likely to further deepen the ongoing political friction between the BJP and Congress camps.