Congress MPs Protest In Parliament Complex Against Alleged Misuse Of ED

Congress Members of Parliament on Wednesday staged a protest in the Parliament House complex, accusing the Centre of misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) following relief granted to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

The protest came a day after a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the ED's money laundering charges against the two Congress leaders. Party MPs said the court's decision proved that "truth has prevailed" in the case.

Holding a banner reading "Satyamev Jayate, Truth Prevails," Congress MPs assembled near the steps of the Makar Dwar and raised slogans against the government, demanding an apology from the Narendra Modi-led Centre. Those present at the protest included Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, and MPs Shashi Tharoor, Tariq Anwar, Kumari Selja, K Suresh and Manickam Tagore, among others.

Earlier, the Congress had demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the wake of the court's order. The party accused the government of pursuing "vendetta politics" against its leadership through central investigative agencies.

Addressing a press conference, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party would continue to fight what it described as the misuse of agencies both inside and outside Parliament. He added that Congress workers were agitated and would demonstrate their strength against such actions.

The relief to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and five others came on Tuesday, when a Delhi court declined to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering case in the National Herald matter. The court observed that the ED's investigation was based on a private complaint and not on a registered FIR. PTI