National Herald case: Haryana Cong stages protest outside BJP office in Panchkula

Chandigarh, Dec 17 (PTI) Haryana Congress on Wednesday staged a protest against the central government outside the BJP's state office in Panchkula after a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the ED's money laundering charge against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

Congress MLAs, former MLAs, district presidents, senior leaders from the state and workers marched from the Gymkhana Club in Panchkula to the BJP office nearby, where they staged a sit-in and raised slogans against the Centre.

Led by former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Haryana Congress President Rao Narender Singh, the protesters accused the central government of misusing the agencies and termed the action as "political vendetta".

Hooda said it is clear now that the Centre is misusing agencies to target opposition leaders.

"False cases were filed against Congress leaders due to political malice, but now the truth has prevailed in court. The case against former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi was politically motivated, and this has now been exposed," Hooda claimed.

Singh said that "the presence of thousands of workers shows the immense public anger against the BJP's illegal and unconstitutional activities and false actions".

During the protest, a heavy police force was deployed outside the BJP office 'Panchkamal', and barricades were erected in front of the gate.

Several Congress workers climbed onto the barricades and raised slogans to register their protest.

In a relief to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and five others, a Delhi court on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering charge against them in the National Herald case, holding that the agency's probe stemmed from a private complaint and not an FIR.

Meanwhile, the BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of running misleading propaganda over the court's decision in the 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 ED can continue its investigation, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted. PTI SUN APL APL