Modi government cannot suppress Congress voice with the help of ED, CBI, says Ramesh Chennithala

Modi government misusing ED and CBI to suppress Opposition, Congress vows to fight back with greater strength.

The “dictatorial” Modi government at the Centre is misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to silence the Opposition parties and suppress their voices, said All India Congress Committee (AICC)’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala.

“The ED action against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi [in the National Herald case] is politically motivated. Modi and Shah cannot silence the Congress party through such actions, and these actions will not break our morale. On the contrary, we will face this oppression with greater strength,” he said, while holding a protest near Dadar along with Maharashtra Congress president Harshavardhan Sapkal.

The police detained Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Legislative Council group leader Satej Patil, Goa in-charge Manikrao Thakre, former State president Nana Patole, MPs, MLAs, former Ministers, along with party officials and workers.  They were released later in the day.

Also Read | National Herald an open-and-shut case of fraud, corruption, and money laundering, alleges BJP

Speaking at the press conference after the protest, Mr. Chennithala said “We strongly condemn the action taken against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. There is widespread public anger about this. The Congress has staged nationwide protests for two consecutive days against this oppression, including protests across Maharashtra condemning the BJP government. We will continue this fight strongly.”

He also said that the ruling alliance in Maharashtra had betrayed the trust of the people by forgetting the promise to provide ₹2,100 under the Ladki Bahin scheme, and instead distributing only ₹500. “The Mahayuti launched this scheme purely for votes. The Congress had already warned that the scheme was misleading. The Congress will soon restructure its State and district-level committees and hold a party camp in Mahabaleshwar,” he added.