SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Tuesday held a protest meeting at the Congress Bhavan, alleging what it described as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “politics of vendetta” and misuse of central investigative agencies to target political opponents, including members of the Gandhi family.
The protest followed a recent order of the Special Court at Rouse Avenue, New Delhi, which on December 16 refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint in the National Herald case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
MPCC leaders said the court’s order amounted to a decisive legal setback for the ED and demonstrated the limits of what they termed “politically motivated prosecutions.”
According to the Congress, the court held that the ED’s complaint was not maintainable as it was not based on a valid predicate offence, a mandatory requirement for invoking provisions of the PMLA.
The court reportedly declined to examine the merits of the allegations, observing that the prosecution itself was unsustainable at the threshold. The MPCC said this finding exposed the weakness of the case and raised concerns about the manner in which central agencies are being used under the present BJP-led government.
Congress leaders alleged that the National Herald case followed a familiar pattern of raids, public allegations, and media scrutiny without substantive legal backing. They said the latest court order had “punctured” this narrative and reaffirmed that judicial decisions are based on law and evidence rather than public or political pressure.
Reiterating the party’s stand, the MPCC stated that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had committed no wrongdoing, asserting that there was no personal enrichment, diversion of public funds, or criminal gain involved. The party claimed that the prosecution’s failure to meet basic legal requirements reinforced its argument that the case was driven by political considerations.
The MPCC further alleged a broader erosion of institutional neutrality, accusing the BJP of weaponising central agencies to intimidate the opposition. At the same time, party leaders reaffirmed their faith in the Constitution and the independence of the judiciary.
The Congress said it would continue to confront legal and political challenges while focusing on what it described as pressing public issues, including unemployment, rising prices, agrarian distress, and the weakening of democratic institutions.
“Vendetta is not governance, propaganda is not proof, and power cannot override justice,” MPCC leaders said during the protest.
