"Has right to dharna, not to misappropriate funds": BJP on Congress' protests against ED

New Delhi [India], April 16 (ANI): As the Congress began its protest over the ED chargesheeting two of its senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that while Congress party has the right to stage a protest, they in fact do not have a right to "misappropriate" private property given by the government to National Herald.
The BJP leader criticised Congress, announcing nationwide protests at ED offices across the country following the investigative agency's naming of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi as accused numbers 1 and 2 in the National Herald Case.
"Congress is really troubled. They are talking about protesting across the country. They have that right, but they don't have the right to loot land and funds. On behalf of the BJP, I would like to clarify that though the Congress has every right to stage a dharna, it does not have the right to misappropriate private property given by the government to the National Herald," he said during a press conference in Delhi.
Talking about the history of National Herald and Young India Limited, Prasad alleged that the Opposition party misappropriated the party's funds, calling it a 'corporate conspiracy.'
"In 2008, the publication of National Herald was closed, after that Congress gave 90 crores to Associated Journal Limited, who publishes National Herald....a political party cannot give their party's fund to a private body, that is important to know. That is prohibited," he said.
"There was a corporate conspiracy to make it so that the assets would come back to the family. They made Young India, where 38 per cent was of Sonia (Gandhi) and 38 was of Rahul, then Motilal Borah and others," he added.
He further claimed that the properties under the name Associated Journals Limited were transferred to Young India Limited, which was supposed to be a charitable organisation.
"After the transfer of money to Young India, the company of which the Gandhi family owns shares, got certain properties. And what are these properties- one property on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Delhi and properties in Mumbai, Lucknow, Bhopal, and Patna? Young India Limited was supposed to be a charitable organisation, but till now, it is not known what charity it did," he said.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and others in the alleged National Herald case.
Congress has strongly protested the move, terming it "politically motivated."
Congress started nationwide protests against the BJP-led government in front of ED offices at the district levels in respective states.
Party leader Udit Raj, while alleging that a "fake chargesheet" was created to target the party's leader, told ANI, "We want to go to the public as no one is bigger than the public. We want the people to understand that a fake chargesheet has been registered against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, which is completely baseless and illegal."
The prosecution complaint has been filed under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, for the offence of money laundering, as defined under Section 3, read with Section 70, and punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA, 2002.
The National Herald case is being heard in a Delhi court. The complaint was filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, their associated companies, and other individuals. (ANI)