The Congress party has announced a large-scale campaign titled “Congress Truths, BJP Lies” to counter the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet against top party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. As part of this effort, Congress will hold press conferences in 57 cities across the country from April 21 to 27.
Aimed at exposing what it calls a “politically motivated move” by the BJP-led central government, the campaign is designed to rally public support and defend the legacy of The National Herald, which Congress describes as a symbol of India’s freedom movement.
Pawan Khera, Chairman of the AICC Media & Publicity Department, called the chargesheet an “anti-national effort” by the BJP. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Khera stated, “From Vijayawada to Varanasi, from Kashmir to Thiruvananthapuram — Congress leaders are fanning out across India to expose BJP’s lies and anti-national efforts to kill the living monument of the freedom struggle — The National Herald.”
The campaign will see participation from several high-profile Congress leaders, including P. Chidambaram, Shashi Tharoor, Ashok Gehlot, Gaurav Gogoi, Supriya Shrinate, Bhupesh Baghel, Randeep Surjewala, Manish Tewari, and Alka Lamba, among others.
This press conference drive comes in the lead-up to a broader initiative: the ‘Save Constitution’ (Samvidhan Bachao) campaign, which will begin on April 25 and run through May 30. The campaign will involve rallies and door-to-door outreach at state, district, and assembly segment levels across the country.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh emphasized that the case has no legal merit and is a clear example of “politics of persecution and intimidation.” He said the ED action was instigated by “two individuals with criminal mentality” and accused the BJP of grossly misusing investigative agencies for political ends.
The ED’s prosecution complaint, filed on April 15, names Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and several associated companies under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The original complaint was filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.
Through this aggressive nationwide campaign, Congress aims to not only defend its leaders but also position itself as a guardian of democratic values and constitutional integrity amidst what it claims is growing authoritarianism under the BJP regime.
