"No basis for Congress party to do politics...": Sudhanshu Trivedi after ED chargesheet against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi [India], April 15 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sudhanshu Trivedi reacted to the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the alleged National Herald money laundering case and suggested the Congress party to not "play politics" on the issue as the case was registered when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government had not even come to power.
"This is a technical matter. The Congress party should keep in mind that this issue started in 2012, and the Delhi High Court started this case in October 2013 through a PIL. The case was registered when PM Modi's government had not even come. Therefore, there is no basis for the Congress party to do politics on this," Trivedi said.
BJP leader Gaurav Vallabh said that no one will be spared because they belong to a special family.
"Those who did money laundering in the National Herald case will be subjected to the strictest action by the law. Nobody will be spared for the reason that they belong to some special family... ED is working according to the law," Vallabh said.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said that the legal action is the same for everyone.
"The legal action is the same for everyone, whether it is a big person, a leader, an officer or the common man... The institutions are independent; neither does the government put any pressure on them, nor does anyone take direct instructions from the government. I think that if someone asks for any fact, then they should present their side and put forward their side. I do not think it is politically motivated, and I think that the investigation agency has always done its work," Sharma said.
Earlier today, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) against top Congress members Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in connection with the National Herald money laundering case.
The said chargesheet also names Congress leader Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey and others, including several firms.
The matter has been listed for arguments on cognisance in the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court on April 25.
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.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne stated that as per the submission of the counsel representing the ED, the predicate offence--recorded under complaint case No. 18/2019--includes charges under Sections 403, 406, and 420, read with Section 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and is currently under trial at the Rouse Avenue Courts in New Delhi.
The court observed that under Section 44(1)(c) of the PMLA, the predicate offence must be tried in the same court that has taken cognisance of the money laundering offence under Section 3 of the PMLA. The court further noted that both offences--the predicate offence and the PMLA offence--must be adjudicated in the same jurisdiction.
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)