Nothing comes out of political vendetta: Congress on ED chargesheet against Gandhis
Congress MP Manish Tewari alleged that the BJP was trying to malign the image of his party by painting its leaders as money launderers
Chandigarh, Apr 22 (PTI) Congress MP Manish Tewari on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led central government over the ED filing a chargesheet against party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, saying history is witness that nothing comes out of "political vendetta".
Addressing a press conference at the Punjab Congress headquarters here, the Chandigarh MP alleged that the BJP was trying to malign the image of his party by painting its leaders as money launderers.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently filed a chargesheet against former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi before a special court in Delhi in the National Herald case, accusing them of allegedly laundering Rs 988 crore.
"History is witness that nothing comes out of political vendetta and those who indulge in such vendetta have to bear the consequences," Tewari said.
Actions taken on the basis of political vendetta do not have any head or tail, he said.
The Chandigarh MP said the money laundering allegation against the Gandhis was baseless.
Charges of money laundering are being levelled in a case where not a single penny or asset has been transferred, he claimed.
"We strongly condemn the planning to defame the Congress leadership," Tewari said.
He claimed that the Rs 90-crore loan extended to AJL by the Congress was to save the National Herald newspaper as it was a symbol of the independence movement.
The former Union minister also questioned the timing of the ED chargesheet, saying it was timed to coincide with the AICC session and was filed just a day after the session concluded in Ahmedabad on April 9.
Rejecting the money laundering allegations, many Congress leaders have maintained that the party used the successful debt-equity conversion formula to save the National Herald.
Congress leaders have been holding press conferences in various cities after the ED charge-sheeted the Gandhis along with a few others.
On Monday, former Union minister P Chidambaram alleged the ED was carrying out "vendetta" at the behest of its "political masters".
The ED has alleged that a "criminal conspiracy" was carried out by Congress leaders to "usurp" properties worth Rs 2,000 crore of its public company Associated Journals Limited (AJL) by transferring 99 per cent shares to their private company named Young Indian for just Rs 50 lakh, a firm where Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are the majority shareholders. PTI
