"Accusations were floating in air, but law remained firmly on ground": Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi slams ED, BJP over National Herald case

New Delhi [India], December 17 (ANI): Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Wednesday described the National Herald case as a false allegation orchestrated by the ruling party, calling it a clear example of the "misuse of central investigative agencies".
Addressing the media, Singhvi said the allegations were made on baseless grounds and that the pressure of political power influenced the recent decision in the matter.
"The National Herald Case is proof of the misuse of central agencies. The allegations were made, but on baseless grounds and In this case, the pressure of power has had the ultimate impact on yesterday's decision. The accusations were floating in the air, but the law remained firmly on the ground," he asserted.
Singhvi highlighted that between 2021 and 2025, the Enforcement Directorate had conducted questioning sessions, including five hours for Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and three hours for Rahul Gandhi. He noted that these interrogations were widely reported on front pages across the country.
The Congress leader reiterated that such cases serve as a reminder of how central agencies can be misused to exert pressure on political opponents.
A day earlier, He called the National Herald case a "national harassment case," denying the accusations of money laundering against party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and six others.
The National Herald case originated from a complaint filed by former MP Subramanian Swamy, alleging misuse of funds by Congress leaders and companies linked to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL).
After Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed a fresh FIR in the National Herald money laundering case on Sunday, Singhvi called the Enforcement Directorate (ED) "colour blind", accusing the agency of targeting the Opposition parties.He also slammed the BJP for alleged "vendetta" against Congress.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, the Congress leader said, "This is a bizarre situation. No crime, no cash, no trail to find. The BJP still conjures a case of its own twisted mind. If justice is blind, then ED is colour blind. It only sees one colour, the opposition colour. It's a case with no money movement, no movement of immovable property, no misuse, yet the ED in its imagination, sees money laundering. If vendetta were a syllabus, the BJP would graduate with honours. From a private complaint to a public circus, the National Herald case is the BJP's recycled obsession. This is not the National Herald case; this is the National Harassment case."
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader Salman Khurshid welcomed the Delhi court's decision to decline taking cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet in the National Herald money laundering case, asserting "false allegations" were made against our leaders."
Reacting to the court's order in Delhi, Khurshid dismissed the allegations levelled against Congress leaders. "All these false allegations are being made against our leaders," he said, asserting that the decision had vindicated the party's long-standing stand on the issue. He described the development as a major relief and an important milestone in the case.
He further congratulated Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, stating, "I congratulate Manu Singhvi...he has been working on this case since the beginning, and after facing hardships, he brought a good result."Khurshid said the leadership had nothing to hide. "I believe that today is a very big day for us. We are fully confident that what we have done is right," he said, adding that the party remained prepared to face any legal scrutiny.
This comes after the Delhi court on Tuesday declined to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's prosecution complaint in the National Herald money-laundering case, holding that proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are not maintainable in the absence of an FIR for the scheduled (predicate) offence.
In a detailed order, Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts ruled that an investigation and prosecution for the offence of money laundering under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA cannot be sustained when the case is founded solely on a private complaint and a summoning order, rather than on a duly registered FIR. (ANI)