Kharge Calls for Modi and Shah’s Resignation After Delhi Court Decision in National Herald Case

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following a recent decision by a Delhi court in the National Herald case, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday morning, Kharge said the court’s decision amounted to a major setback for Modi and Shah. “This court order is a big slap in the face of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. They should submit their resignations with a commitment that people will not be harassed in the future,” he said.

On Tuesday, a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that named senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Kharge alleged that the National Herald case was initiated out of political vendetta to harass the Gandhi family. He described the case as “completely false” and “politically motivated.”

“This case is entirely fabricated and has been pursued with political malice and bad intent,” Kharge said, accusing the current government of using the ED to target opposition leaders for political gain.

However, Kharge welcomed the court’s ruling, saying it had upheld justice. “Truth has prevailed. We wholeheartedly welcome this verdict,” he said.

In its observations, the court said it was not legally permissible to take judicial cognisance of the charge sheet. The court also noted that the role of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the application of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) appeared to go beyond the intended legal framework in this case.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court ruled that initiating money laundering proceedings based on a private complaint, without a registered FIR, was not legally tenable.

Background

The National Herald newspaper, founded by India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, became the subject of corruption allegations raised by the BJP in 2013. The controversy resurfaced after the Modi government came to power in 2014.

According to the allegations, Associated Journals Limited (AJL)—the company that owned National Herald—had accumulated debts of around ₹900 million, most of which were loans taken from the Congress party.