Congress workers raised aggressive slogans against the BJP government near the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Pune station.
Speaking at a protest rally, Congress Pune city president Arvind Shinde said, “The BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have filed a false case of money laundering against our leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. They have been arrested by filing a non-bailable case with an eye on the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections and Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. A false case has been filed against them so that they cannot participate during the elections. So far, 900 cases have been filed by the ED in this matter. Only two cases have made progress. The rest of the cases have been filed only to blackmail our leaders. We will not tolerate this and we will take to the streets against this. If Rahul Gandhi is touched, this country will burn.”
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The development follows the ED filing a chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald-Associated Journals Limited (AJL) case, where they have been accused of money laundering. The ED has alleged that the Gandhi family, along with others, acquired Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of National Herald newspaper, for only Rs 50 lakh, which is substantially below its actual market value of Rs 2,000 crore.
“The Modi government is taking action against Congress leaders across the country who are standing against the BJP government. False cases are being filed against Congress leaders. ED action has been taken against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi as well as MP Rahul Gandhi with political motives and they are being harassed unnecessarily. ED has questioned Sonia and Rahul before as well. The Congress party is not afraid of the actions of the ED and the CBI. Every Congress worker will unite and protest against this action,” Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala said in Nagpur, at a Congress procession on Wednesday.
Chennithala, Maharashtra State President Harshvardhan Sapkal, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Congress Goa In-charge Manikrao Thackeray, All India Congress Committee Secretary Kunal Chaudhary, former minister Dr Nitin Raut, besides other Congress leaders like Sunil Kedar, Anis Ahmed, MP Pratibha Dhanorkar, Nagpur City Congress President A Vikas Thackeray, Abhijit Vanjari, Seva Dal State President Vilas Autade, INTUC State President Kailash Kadam, Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe and activists participated in the march in Nagpur.
In Mumbai, BJP posters were spotted outside the National Herald-Associated Journals Limited (AJL) building AJL House in Bandra West, featuring images of PM Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra CM Fadnavis and slogans like “Deva Bhau (Devendra Fadnavis) Bulldozer Chalao (use the bulldozer)”, suggesting that AJL House must be demolished. BJP leader Vishwabandhu Rai showcased posters outside AJL House in Bandra West, calling on Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to demolish the building.
Meanwhile, Congress workers protested outside ED office in Mumbai on Wednesday. During the protest outside the ED office, a scuffle broke out between the police and Congress protesters, in which Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad was injured. She was immediately admitted to GT Hospital, where she underwent treatment.
Later, Gaikwad released a statement regarding the protest outside the ED office in Mumbai. “By filing a false chargesheet against our leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi ji, based on fake cases through the ED, which has become the ‘Election Department’ of the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again proven that he is the biggest coward. He is afraid of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi’s courage, their truth, their unwavering fight and commitment to justice,” according to Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad’s statement.
“Today, the Mumbai Congress staged a peaceful, democratic protest in front of the ED office in Mumbai against this vindictive action by Modi’s authoritarian government. But the Fadnavis government, shaken by this, tried to crush our protest using the Mumbai police. They did not stop there. I and other Congress workers were beaten up and detained in an inhumane manner. Many workers including me were injured. I strongly condemn this repression by the Maharashtra state government,” Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad stated.
“The BJP knows that Congress is the only party in the country that preserves democracy and fights consistently for the rights of the people. It is because of Rahul Gandhi’s growing popularity which makes the government sweat. That is why the BJP government is conspiring to suppress our voice by filing false cases and fabricated allegations. But if Congress did not bow down before the British, it will never bow down to this new East India Company of Modi-Shah either. We will continue to fight against oppression and injustice. Our fight for truth, constitution and democracy will continue unabated,” according to Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad’s statement.
