Friday, 22 July 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Vindictive Modi Govt misusing central agencies to harass leaders of the Congress party – Mahara
In protest against what it termed misuse of central agencies by the Modi government to harass its leaders the Uttarakhand Congress organised a massive protest outside the office of Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday. The protest was part of a nationwide call of agitation given by the Congress party. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara led a march of Congressmen from the state headquarters to the ED office. Speaking on the occasion, Mahara said that the action of ED on the Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case is an example of how the central agencies are being blatantly misused by the Union government against the leaders of Congress party and opposition leaders.
He said that the National Herald newspaper was started in the year 1937 by leaders such as Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Acharya Narendra Dev and others. The paper was banned during the Quit India movement and it was referred to as a national disaster by Mahatma Gandhi. “Faced with a crisis this newspaper was helped by the Congress party and from the year 2002 to 2011 a loan of Rs 90 crore was given to it in 100 installments. National Herald paid a sum of Rs 67 Crore from this money for paying salaries and VRS of the employees and the remaining amount was used to pay electricity bill, house tax, building tax and other government dues,’’ he said.
Mahara said that guided by vendetta the BJP leaders are terming this Rs 90 Crore loan as a criminal act. He said that since National Herald and its parent company Associated Journals limited were not in position to repay the loan of Rs 90 crore, its loan was converted into equity shares of Associated Journals limited.
Mahara said that the Congress leadership believes that National Herald is a symbol of heritage of Congress party. Giving examples, the PCC president said that there are many leaders who are in BJP or have joined BJP against whom ED cases were dropped and only Congress leaders are being targeted.
The leader of opposition (LoP), Yashpal Arya said that the loan given by the Congress party to the Associated Journals Limited is not a criminal act and the election commission has also cleared that there is no provision in the representation of people act which prevents or controls the expenses by a political party. He said that the Modi government is engaging in politics of vendetta. Former PCC president Pritam Singh said that in an attempt to hide its failures the Modi government is using central agencies under a political conspiracy. Former PCC president Ganesh Godiyal said that the BJP government is not interested in the development and prosperity of the people and its only concern is to use central agencies to stifle the voice of opposition.
The Congress leaders and workers courted arrest during the protest and they were taken to the police lines from the ED office.
Renuka Rawat (wife of former chief minister Harish Rawat), former MP Pradeep Tamta, MLAs Harish Dhami, Mamta Rakesh, Furkan Ahmed, deputy leader of Congress legislature Party Bhuwan Kapdi, MLAs Sumit Hridayesh, Virendra Jati, Ravi Bahadur, Anupma Rawat, Vice President Surya Kant Dhasmana, former minister Hira Singh Bisht, former MLAs Ranjit Rawat, Manoj Rawat, Vijay Pal Sajwan and others were present on the occasion.
