The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in connection with the alleged National Herald money laundering case. Congress has strongly condemned the move, calling it politically driven.

In response, the party has announced plans to stage nationwide protests outside ED offices at the district level on Wednesday, accusing the BJP-led government of misusing central agencies for political vendetta. The chargesheet also names senior Congress leaders like Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey, along with several companies.

The case is scheduled for a hearing on April 25 to consider the court’s cognisance of the complaint. The ED has filed the complaint under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), alleging money laundering offenses tied to an earlier case involving charges such as criminal breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code.

The court stated that under PMLA provisions, both the predicate offense and the money laundering offense should be tried in the same court. The original complaint was filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, accusing the Gandhis and others of financial irregularities related to the National Herald.

Congress, in a statement, slammed the Modi government for what it called a "state-sponsored crime" disguised as legal action, aimed at stifling opposition voices. The party criticized the seizure of National Herald’s assets and the chargesheets against its top leaders as politically motivated and an abuse of power.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said the party would organize state-level demonstrations involving senior leaders, MPs, MLAs, and workers. He emphasized that the National Herald, founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938, was a symbol of India’s fight for freedom and democratic values, which are now under attack.

The party declared its unwavering commitment to constitutional principles, vowing to resist attempts to intimidate its leadership through legal harassment. “Satyameva Jayate is not just a slogan; it is our guiding principle,” the statement said. Congress leaders also criticized the legal basis of the case. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said there is "no substance" to the allegations and that the government is exposing its political motives. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal accused the BJP of misusing laws since 2014 and using the ED to target the Gandhi family and opposition leaders.

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh stated that the party would not be intimidated by such actions driven by revenge. In response, BJP leaders defended the ED’s move, arguing that the case had been in motion since 2012. BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi called it a legal matter and said Congress should avoid politicizing it. Gaurav Vallabh maintained that the ED was following the law, while MP Dinesh Sharma denied any misuse of investigative agencies.