Cong slams BJP over National Herald case, says it’s political vendetta

Madurai: The National Herald case is a clear instance of "political vendetta" by the BJP and an example of the misuse of central agencies like the enforcement directorate (ED), Bhavya Narasimhamurthy, spokesperson of the All India Congress Committee and general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, has said.
She made these remarks in Madurai on Monday during the Congress party's nationwide campaign across 57 cities aimed at countering what it calls the "BJP's lies" surrounding the case.
Addressing reporters, Bhavya said the ED issued a provisional attachment order in 2023, which was later confirmed by a tribunal on April 10, 2024. The ED had a statutory window of 365 days to file a chargesheet. "On the 365th and final day—April 9, 2025—they filed the chargesheet. While media outlets are reporting its submission, the contents are still not public," she noted.
Highlighting the timeline, she pointed out that in Aug 2015, the ED originally closed the file on record. "It was only after the Modi govt removed the then ED director, Rajan Katoch, in Sept 2015 that the case was reopened. This is a textbook example of political interference," she said.
Bhavya further alleged that if there was substantial evidence, the govt would not have waited until the last possible day to act. "This delay reflects the desperation to keep the case alive, despite its frivolous foundation, and exposes the moral and political bankruptcy of the Modi regime," she added.
She also accused the govt of using the case to divert public attention from pressing national issues, including the Manipur violence, inflation, and LPG price hikes.