Cong protests outside BJP offices after National Herald order; says PM, Shah should apologise or resign

New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday held protests across the country against what it alleged was the Modi government's "misuse" of probe agencies for vendetta politics and vowed to keep up the fight in Parliament and outside, a day 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.

Senior functionaries of the party, who led the demonstrations outside the BJP offices in state capitals and other places, demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should tender a public apology or resign.

Holding a large banner that read 'Satyamev Jayate, Truth Prevails', party MPs lined up in front of the Parliament's Makar Dwar steps. Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, MPs Shashi Tharoor, Tariq Anwar, Kumari Selja, K Suresh, Manickam Tagore, among others, participated in the protest.

"I want to say that after this judgement, Modi and Shah should resign because the court decision is like a slap on their face," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said at a press conference in Delhi.

He said the Congress has been fighting the issue politically by taking out marches since its top leadership was summoned by agencies.

"We have been fighting on the streets, in Parliament, outside it, and will continue to do it and teach them a lesson," he said, while welcoming the court order and thanking party workers.

He alleged that over the past 11 years, there have been more than 50 such key opposition leaders whom the Modi government has made "full efforts to intimidate and blackmail by misusing" the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department.

Venugopal asserted that the Congress will expose the "vendetta politics" of the Modi government. "The entire Congress cadre is agitated and will show its strength all over India against the misuse of agencies." The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) held a protest in front of its office in Rajiv Bhawan in the national capital, where party workers gathered in large numbers.

In Belagavi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar led the protest in front of the Gandhi statue at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on the National Herald issue and against the Centre's move to replace the existing rural employment law MGNREGA.

"Justice has prevailed. It is a lesson to the BJP. It should stop this vindictive attitude," Shivakumar, also the state Congress chief, said.

In Chhattisgarh, Congress MLAs created an uproar in the state assembly, demanding a discussion on the issue of "misuse of agencies to suppress the Opposition" by moving an adjournment motion.

After the Chair rejected the demand, Congress legislators trooped into the well of the House, leading to the suspension of 34 MLAs of the Opposition party. The Speaker, however, revoked their suspension after a few minutes.

In Patna, a large number of Congress workers, led by the party’s Bihar unit president Rajesh Ram, raised slogans against the central government, Prime Minister Modi and other BJP leaders.

Holding party flags, Congress workers led by state chief Keshav Mahto Kamlesh protested outside the Jharkhand BJP headquarters in Ranchi.

Kamlesh said top BJP leaders have been attacking Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. "Now the Narendra Modi government at the Centre should tender a public apology before the nation for misusing its powers through the ED to defame the Gandhi family," he said.

In Jaipur, police put up barricades to stop protesting Rajasthan Congress leaders and workers from marching to the BJP state headquarters.

Senior leaders and workers of the Jammu and Kashmir Unit were also stopped by the police as they tried to protest outside the BJP office in Jammu.

Several Odisha Congress leaders and workers were detained after they scuffled with security personnel during a protest march to the state BJP headquarters in the state capital over the National Herald issue, officials said.

Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das also demanded a public apology from PM Modi and Shah.

“The BJP and its top leaders, including the PM and Shah, have been attacking Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, demoralising lakhs of Congress workers across India,” Das told reporters.

He said the Congress workers will also stage a dharna in every district of Odisha on Thursday, as part of the protest.

Police personnel detained Congress workers during a protest outside the Enforcement Directorate office in Mumbai.

However, the BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of running misleading propaganda over the trial court's decision in the National Herald case and said the court refused to take cognisance of the complaint but did not set aside the case.

The case is still pending trial in the Delhi High Court, and the trial court in its order on Tuesday said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can continue its investigation, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted.

Delivering his order in a case that was marked by a political slugfest and legal battles for several years, Special Judge Vishal Gogne said the cognisance of the ED's prosecution complaint relating to the offence of money laundering was "impermissible in law." ED officials said the probe agency may file an appeal against the court's order after taking opinions from law officers.

The ED has accused Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, as well as late party leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, along with Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and a private company, Young Indian, of conspiracy and money laundering. PTI SKC ASK PKD PK SDA SGV SAN TKP BBM RT