Demand for Modi-Amit Shah’s resignation in India
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has strongly attacked the BJP over the recent verdict of a Delhi court in the National Herald case. In a press conference on Wednesday (December 17) morning, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah should resign. Kharge said, “This court’s decision is a big slap in the face to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. They should resign so that people do not face harassment in the future.”
A Delhi court on Tuesday refused to accept the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate. The charge sheet names senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Kharge alleged that the National Herald case was filed out of political vendetta to harass the Gandhi family. According to him, the case is completely false and politically motivated.
In his words, “This case is completely false. It has been taken forward with political vendetta and ulterior motives.” Kharge alleged that the current government is using the ED against opposition leaders for political gains. However, he feels that justice has been done in the court’s decision. He said, “Truth has triumphed. We wholeheartedly welcome this verdict.”
The court, in its observation, said that it is not possible to give judicial recognition to the chargesheet in the eyes of law. The court also said that the role of the CBI and the framework of the PMLA Act have been unnecessarily exceeded in the ED’s action in this case. Special Judge Vishal Gogon of the Rouse Avenue Court said that it is not legal to initiate judicial proceedings in a money laundering case on the basis of a personal complaint without an FIR.
It is worth noting that the BJP had raised corruption allegations against the National Herald newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 2013. Then, after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, a new controversy started. It has been alleged that the newspaper’s owner, Associated Journals Limited, had a total debt of Rs 90 crore in the market, most of which was borrowed from Congress.
