The Congress party launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP government on Monday, dismissing a fresh police complaint filed in the long-running National Herald case as a "desperate" act driven by political vendetta. The party alleged the move was aimed at plugging a major legal loophole, as the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) case lacked a mandatory government complaint.
A Legal Lacuna and a 'Desperate' FIR
Addressing the media, Congress spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Singhvi argued that the entire case rests on a private complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. He emphasized that the ED can only pursue a case that is initiated by the government, police, or empowered officials. "I had argued in the court that this chargesheet is infructuous. The National Herald case has no police or ED complaint," Singhvi stated.
He described this absence as a "major lacuna" on which a "big building was erected, and it could fall anytime." According to Singhvi, the new First Information Report (FIR) is a frantic attempt by the government to fill this critical gap. "So, this fresh FIR is a desperate attempt to fill the gap of govt complaint in the case," he said, adding, "we can see what kind of foolishness can be committed when one works in haste out of vendetta."
Congress's Defense: No Crime, No Cash, No Trail
Singhvi provided a detailed rebuttal to the allegations of financial wrongdoing. He explained that the National Herald, an idealistic newspaper born during the freedom struggle and run by Associated Journals Limited (AJL), faced severe financial distress. At one point, its debt had ballooned to a staggering Rs 90 crore.
To rescue the publication, the Congress party extended substantial loans. Subsequently, a standard corporate restructuring measure was adopted: converting this debt into equity through a not-for-profit company named Young Indian (YI). "There was no transfer of property, no movement of money, while YI became the controlling company of AJL," Singhvi clarified.
He vehemently denied the government and ED's claim that this process amounted to money laundering through property transfer. "This is a bizarre situation -- no crime, no cash, no trail to find, the BJP still conjures a case out of its own twisted mind," the Congress leader asserted.
Political Vendetta Against Opposition
The Congress party framed the latest legal action as part of a sustained campaign by the BJP-led central government to target and harass opposition leadership through investigative agencies. Singhvi's press conference underscored the political narrative that the case is less about legalities and more about silencing political dissent.
With the court's judgement on the validity of the chargesheet still pending, the Congress insists that the foundation of the case remains legally untenable. The party views the new FIR as a pre-emptive move to strengthen a legally weak position, driven solely by what it calls a political witch-hunt.
