Mallikarjun Kharge (PTI photo)
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday stepped up his attack on the BJP-led Centre and Enforcement Directorate (ED) after Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi once again came under scrutiny in the National Herald case. Posting on X, Kharge accused the Modi government of reopening an old matter solely to target the Congress leadership.The grand old party’s chief Kharge wrote: “12 years on and suddenly a new FIR in the old case on the Gandhi Family targeting the Congress party. Simply because the Modi govt and the ED have exhausted their supply of fresh smears. When facts ran thin, theatrics stepped in: selective prosecutions, recycled allegations, and a thinly veiled attempt to keep opponents in the dock. We are confident that the Judiciary will see through this political vendetta and mindless attempts to hound!” The Delhi police’s economic offences wing has filed a fresh FIR against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, six associates and several business entities, alleging a criminal conspiracy to “fraudulently” acquire Associated Journals Ltd, then a Congress-held entity with properties valued at around Rs 2,000 crore. The acquisition was made through Young Indian, in which the Gandhis together held 76% shareholding.Responding to Congress’s charge of political vendetta, the BJP demanded that the party explain what it called the “loot by its leaders” in the National Herald case. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad refuted the allegation of government interference, saying the matter predates the Modi administration. He said: “The nation should know that Young Indian in which Sonia and Rahul own 38% share each, acquired assets worth thousands of crores belonging to AJL, which was held by Congress and owned by National Herald, with only Rs 50 lakh.”The Congress, however, continues to reject the charges, accusing the ED of conducting a political witchunt at the government’s behest.
