Amid rising political tensions over the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) recent chargesheet in the National Herald case, Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal asserted on Wednesday that all investigative agencies operate strictly within the bounds of the law and cannot be swayed by political protests or pressure.
As the Congress prepares for a nationwide protest against the central government, Jaiswal dismissed the party’s claims of political vendetta, emphasizing that the legal process will hold wrongdoers accountable regardless of their political stature.
“If any political party believes they can shield themselves by misusing their cadre, they are mistaken. The public won’t forgive them, and neither will the Constitution,” Jaiswal told ANI. “All investigative agencies function within a legal framework. No matter the size of the protest, it won’t protect the guilty.”
The Congress is staging demonstrations outside Enforcement Directorate offices across state capitals and in front of Central Government offices at the district level, in response to the ED’s prosecution complaint filed on Tuesday at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court. The complaint names Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others in connection with alleged financial irregularities linked to the National Herald newspaper.
Filed under multiple provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the chargesheet includes offences under Sections 44 and 45, with the predicate offences comprising Sections 403, 406, 420, and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code. The court has scheduled the matter for cognisance arguments on April 25.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne stated that both the predicate and money laundering offences must be tried in the same court as per Section 44(1)(c) of the PMLA, reinforcing the procedural integrity of the ongoing case.
The National Herald case, initiated by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, alleges misappropriation of funds and misuse of assets by top Congress leadership and their affiliated firms.
Despite Congress calling the ED action “politically motivated,” the BJP maintains that legal accountability must prevail, with Jaiswal reiterating, “No protest can override the rule of law.”
