New Delhi, Dec 17: The Congress on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering charges against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and five others in the National Herald case.
Speaking at a press conference alongside senior leaders K.C. Venugopal, Abhishek Singhvi, Jairam Ramesh, and Pawan Khera, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the court’s verdict was “like a slap on the face” of the Modi-Shah government. “After this judgment, Modi and Shah should resign. They should not harass people like this,” he asserted.
Kharge further vowed that the Congress would continue its political fight both inside and outside Parliament, and mobilise its cadre across the country to challenge the “misuse of agencies.”
The Delhi court, in its order delivered by Special Judge Vishal Gogne, ruled that cognisance of the ED’s prosecution complaint relating to money laundering was “impermissible in law,” as the case was based on a private complaint by Subramanian Swamy rather than an FIR. The judge noted that it was premature and imprudent to decide the merits of the allegations at this stage, adding that “other arguments possibly live to fight another day.”
ED officials indicated the agency may file an appeal against the court’s order after consulting law officers, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
The ED had alleged that Congress leaders and associated parties, including late Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and Young Indian, conspired to acquire properties worth approximately Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), publisher of the National Herald newspaper.
Reacting to the court’s decision, senior leaders described the verdict as exposing the “illegality” and “politically motivated prosecution” by the Modi government. Venugopal asserted that the Congress would continue to expose the “vendetta politics,” while Singhvi called the case a story of political harassment, emphasizing that “the law has spoken louder than noise.”
The Congress reiterated its commitment to fighting what it termed the “misuse of investigative agencies” and vowed to show its strength nationwide in response to the court’s ruling.