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 money laundering charge against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
Calling the ruling a setback for the government, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the decision exposed what he described as political harassment of the opposition.
“I want to say that after this judgment, Modi and Shah should resign. This is like a slap on their face,” Kharge said at a press conference. “They should not harass people like this.”
A Delhi court on Tuesday declined to take cognisance of the ED’s prosecution complaint, holding that the probe stemmed from a private complaint and not from an FIR relating to a predicate offence. The court said taking cognisance in such circumstances was “impermissible in law.”
Kharge said the Congress would continue to fight the matter politically and legally. “We have fought on the streets, in Parliament and outside it, and we will continue to do so,” he said.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the party would expose what he termed the “vendetta politics” of the Modi government. “The entire Congress cadre is agitated and will show its strength across the country against the misuse of agencies,” he said.
Senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said the ruling demonstrated that “law has spoken louder than noise,” calling the case one of political vendetta and harassment.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne, while passing the order, said the ED complaint was based on a complaint by a private individual, Subramanian Swamy, and not on an FIR. The court said it was premature to examine the merits of the allegations and added that “other arguments possibly live to fight another day.”
The ED has accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others, including the late Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, of conspiracy and money laundering in connection with properties of Associated Journals Limited, publisher of the National Herald newspaper.
ED officials said the agency may challenge the order after seeking legal opinion.
The BJP, however, accused the Congress of misleading the public. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the trial court’s order did not close the case. “The court only said it will not take cognisance as it is a private complaint. The ED can continue its investigation,” he said.
Bhatia said the case remains pending before the Delhi High Court. “Sonia Gandhi is still accused number one and Rahul Gandhi accused number two,” he said.
Read more: Court Dismisses ED Case Against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi
