Top Cong netas, mantris take part in massive dharna at city ED office

Hyderabad: The Congress party’s top leaders and ministers staged a dharna in front of the regional office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday to protest against the filing of the charge sheet against former AICC presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for alleged money laundering in the National Herald case.

The protest was organised by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), headed by its president and MLC Mahesh Kumar Goud, in accordance with the central leadership’s directive for demonstrations to take place nationwide. AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramkar, AICC Secretary Viswanathan, Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Jupally Krishna Rao, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Konda Surekha and Sridhar Babu, MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, MLC Balmoor Venkat Narsig Rao, MLAs Shankaraiah and Raj Tagore, Corporation Chairman, leaders and party activists in large numbers took part in the protest.

Mahesh Kumar Goud said that the BJP resorted to ‘political vendetta’ as it was worried about the success of the recent AICC session in Gujarat. He alleged that the BJP was using investigative agencies to tarnish the image of Rahul Gandhi.

BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that the BJP was ‘targeting’ the Gandhi family, which had made sacrifices for the country. He alleged that the BJP is running the government with the help of the CBI and ED. He said that this ‘political vendetta’ by the BJP was not good for the country. Ponnam exuded confidence that the people of the country would stand by the Gandhi family. He said the Congress would hold nationwide protests.

Meenakshi Natarajan remarked that Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Congress party intends to conquer the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. “Since then, the Modi administration has resorted to vindictive political tactics by issuing notices. As a result, the country is currently experiencing unrest,” she stated. Natarajan went on to claim that during the recent Kumbh Mela, there was evidence of caste-based discrimination. She described how impoverished individuals residing in makeshift homes were treated poorly, often situated near garbage disposal sites in BJP-ruled states. BJP leaders do not even recognise these individuals as Hindus, she said. “Those who bring to light the BJP government’s irregularities at the national level face harassment through Enforcement Directorate investigations and other inquiries,” Meenakshi Natarajan said. “National Herald operates as a non-profit entity. If there are no financial exchanges, how could money laundering take place? Transactions should not occur outside the organisation’s regulations,” she stated.

AICC Secretary Vishwanath accused the BJP of inciting social unrest in the nation and attempting to create divisions within the country. “If summons are warranted, they should be directed toward Narendra Modi, as well as Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Rajnath Singh. The leaders of the BJP are engaged in scams and corrupt practices,” he remarked. PCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Dudilla Sridhar Babu, Damodar Raja Narasimha, and other officials also addressed the gathering during the protest.