In a significant legal development, the Congress party launched a fierce offensive against the BJP-led central government on Wednesday. This came after a Delhi court delivered a major relief to the party by declining to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's prosecution complaint in the high-profile National Herald money-laundering case.
Court Ruling Deals Blow to ED's Case
The immediate trigger for the political storm was an order by Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts. The judge ruled that proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were not maintainable. He held that the ED's complaint was "impermissible in law" because it was based on a private complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, rather than a First Information Report (FIR) for a scheduled offence. The court emphasized that the absence of an FIR made the ED's action legally untenable.
Congress Leaders Unleash Scathing Attack
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge spearheaded the party's response, accusing the Modi government of weaponizing central agencies to target Opposition leaders, with a specific focus on the Gandhi family. "They are doing this for political vendetta. This case is only to trouble the Gandhi family. There is no FIR in this case," Kharge stated. He welcomed the judgment, invoking the national motto "Satyamev Jayate" (Truth Alone Triumphs).
Kharge escalated his rhetoric, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. "PM Modi and Shah should resign after this judgment; they shouldn't trouble people like this," he asserted. He announced that the party, after facing what he called seven years of continuous harassment by the ED, would now take the issue to the streets.
Echoing this sentiment, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the court ruling had agitated party workers across the nation. He confirmed plans for nationwide demonstrations to expose the "systematic misuse" of the ED to target political opponents.
A "Textbook Example of Abuse of Power"
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi provided a detailed legal critique, describing the case as a textbook example of abuse of power. "The National Herald Case is proof of the misuse of central agencies. The allegations were made, but on baseless grounds… The accusations were floating in the air, but the law remained firmly on the ground," Singhvi remarked.
He highlighted that between 2021 and 2025, the ED conducted multiple, highly publicized questioning sessions of senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. Singhvi, who had previously dubbed the matter a "National Harassment case," reiterated his rejection of all money laundering allegations against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others.
In a sharp metaphor, Singhvi accused the ED of being "colour blind". "If justice is blind, then ED is colour blind. It only sees one colour, the opposition colour," he said, alleging selective targeting.
Political Fallout and Road Ahead
The court's decision has injected fresh momentum into the Congress's narrative against the government ahead of crucial political battles. The party is now mobilizing its cadre for protests, framing the judgment as a vindication of its long-held stance. The ruling BJP has yet to issue a detailed response to the court order or the fresh allegations. However, this legal setback for the ED is likely to intensify the ongoing political war of words over the autonomy and use of central investigative agencies in India.
