KKN Gurugram Desk | The ongoing tension between the Congress party and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reached a new high as the ED filed a chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and several others in the National Herald money laundering case. In a parallel development, Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Priyanka Gandhi, was summoned again by ED for questioning in a land deal case.

In response, the Congress party has launched nationwide protests, accusing the central government of using investigative agencies for political revenge. The situation has escalated into a full-blown political storm, drawing sharp reactions from both sides.

 Why Is Congress Protesting?

On April 15, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate filed a detailed chargesheet in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court against top Congress leaders in the National Herald case. The agency alleges that the leaders, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, conspired to illegally acquire properties worth ₹2,000 crore by transferring 99% shares of Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) to their privately owned company, Young Indian, for just ₹50 lakh.

Congress has called the move a politically motivated action, aimed at defaming the Gandhi family and weakening the party.

 What Does the ED Chargesheet Say?

The ED’s allegations are centered around the following:

• The misappropriation of assets worth ₹2,000 crore belonging to AJL.

• A criminal conspiracy was allegedly hatched by the Congress leadership to gain ownership of AJL through Young Indian.

• Young Indian, in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are majority stakeholders, paid a nominal ₹50 lakh to gain control of AJL, which had significant real estate holdings across India.

The chargesheet also names Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and several companies involved in the alleged financial manipulation.

Robert Vadra Under ED Scanner Again

While Congress protested across the country, Robert Vadra appeared before the ED for the second consecutive day in connection with the Gurugram land deal case.

Key developments:

• Vadra underwent 6 hours of questioning on April 15.

• He appeared again on April 16, accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi, who waited outside the ED office.

• Vadra has already appeared 15 times before the ED regarding this case and submitted over 23,000 pages of documents.

In his statement, Vadra termed the repeated summons as “politically motivated”, saying:

“Every time Congress gains strength, the government targets us. This is not justice—it’s harassment.”

 Nationwide Congress Protests: Akbar Road to State Capitals

Congress organized massive protests outside ED offices across India. The party’s headquarters on 24, Akbar Road in Delhi saw large gatherings of workers, leaders, and supporters. Security forces were deployed heavily to manage the crowd.

Congress alleges that:

• The Modi government is using ED to silence opposition voices.

• The action against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi is an attack on India’s democracy.

• The National Herald newspaper, started by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938, is being targeted because of its historic significance.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said:

“This is not just an attack on the Gandhi family, it’s an attack on our freedom struggle’s legacy.”

 BJP’s Counterattack: “No One Is Above the Law”

Reacting sharply to the Congress protests, BJP leaders accused the party of hiding behind protests to escape legal scrutiny.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP MP, stated:

“National Herald was never the private property of the Gandhi family. There were over 5,000 shareholders when it started. Congress must protest peacefully, but it cannot loot land in the name of legacy.”

The BJP maintains that:

• The ED is acting within legal boundaries.

• The case is not politically driven but based on solid financial evidence.

• No individual, not even the Gandhis, is above the law.

 Timeline of the National Herald Case

• August 2014: ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

• December 2015: Sonia and Rahul Gandhi received bail from court.

• 2023–2024: ED began attaching AJL’s properties.

• April 2025: ED initiated proceedings to seize ₹661 crore worth of assets.

• April 15, 2025: First official chargesheet filed by ED.

 Political Reactions & Analysis

 Robert Vadra’s Strong Statement

Vadra called the ED action an attempt to distract from real national issues, saying:

“Agencies like ED are being misused to harass those who speak against the government. This is to create divisions and deflect public attention.”

He claimed that he has always cooperated with investigations and that this is not law—it is vendetta. Congress Strategy Going Forward

Congress is planning to:

• Take the issue to Parliament and State Assemblies

• Mobilize public opinion by organizing ‘Save Democracy’ rallies

• Project the ED action as a sign of dictatorship and authoritarianism

 Visuals from the Protest

• Workers raising slogans like “ED Go Back” and “Dictatorship Won’t Be Tolerated”

• MP Imran Pratapgarhi said, “This is not about law; it’s about suppression.”

• Video footage showed police barricades, mass gatherings, and heightened security in metro cities

The National Herald case and the ED’s renewed action against the Gandhi family and Robert Vadra have ignited a fresh political firestorm. While the Congress alleges vendetta politics, the BJP insists on accountability and transparency.

With nationwide protests, media attention, and ongoing court proceedings, this case is poised to remain a key political issue in the run-up to the next general election.

The coming weeks will determine whether Congress can convert this legal battle into a political advantage, or whether the government will succeed in framing it as a crackdown on corruption.