A fresh political showdown has erupted between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in the National Herald money laundering case.
While the Congress launched nationwide protests outside ED offices, terming the move “politically motivated”, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad responded sharply, alleging financial misconduct and misappropriation of public property by the Gandhi’s.
“Congress has every right to protest, but it has no right to loot land and funds,” Prasad said at a press conference in Delhi.
🔍 BJP’s Allegations: “Corporate Conspiracy” and Fund Misuse
Ravi Shankar Prasad elaborated on the alleged misuse of Congress party funds, tracing the financial trail from the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) to Young India Limited (YIL)—a company where Sonia and Rahul Gandhi reportedly hold 76% shares combined.
“Congress gave ₹90 crores to AJL in 2008 after National Herald stopped publishing. Then they created Young India, a so-called charitable organisation, and transferred assets to it—including prime properties in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Patna, and Bhopal,” Prasad claimed.
He further accused the Congress of orchestrating a “corporate conspiracy” to ensure the return of AJL assets to the Gandhi family via YIL.
🧾 ED Chargesheet and Legal Basis
The ED filed its prosecution complaint on Tuesday in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, under:
- Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002,
- Along with Section 3 (offence of money laundering),
- Read with Section 70 (offences by companies) and Section 4 (punishment) of the Act.
The charges stem from a criminal complaint originally filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, alleging illegal acquisition of AJL assets by Young India Limited.
🧱 Congress Hits Back: “Fake, Illegal, and Baseless”
Rejecting the allegations, Congress leader Udit Raj dismissed the chargesheet as a “fake and illegal” tool of political vendetta.
“No one is bigger than the people. We’re taking this fight to the public to expose the baseless chargesheet filed against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,” Raj said.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe also termed the action as “revenge politics”, accusing the Modi government of weaponizing investigative agencies to silence opposition.
🚨 What’s Next?
- The Delhi court will now take up the ED’s prosecution complaint for hearing.
- Congress protests are expected to intensify in the coming days, especially at district ED offices.
- BJP leaders have signaled they will continue to defend the ED’s actions and counter what they call “misinformation by the Congress.”