LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said the Congress is making an "unsuccessful attempt" to politicise the National Herald case, apparently referring to the party's proposed protest against the summoning of its top leaders for questioning.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recently lodged a money-laundering case in connection with the National Herald-Associated Journals Ltd deal and summoned party president Sonia Gandhi and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for questioning.
As Rahul Gandhi is set to appear before the agency on Monday, the Congress has decided that all its top leaders and MPs will take out a protest march to the agency headquarters in New Delhi and stage a "satyagraha" against the "misuse" of the agency.
"The Congress is making an unsuccessful attempt to give a political shape to this case. Corruption is the national character of the Congress," Maurya told reporters here.
"Why the Congress feeling afraid in the National Herald case," he asked, saying both party leaders are out on bail in a corruption case pertaining to National Herald.
He was apparently referring to another case in which the Gandhis are out on bail.
Maurya alleged that the Congress leaders have started meddling with the country's "peace" and "identity" after the ED unveiled their wrongdoing.
The Congress leaders should know that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre won't allow anyone to plunder the country's resources, he said.
Meanwhile, former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who arrived here on Sunday, termed the ED notice a "conspiracy" by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Talking to reporters at the Congress headquarters here, Pilot said there is anger among leaders and workers of the party regarding the "fake" case and all sitting and former MPs, MLAs, members of the executive committee of the party will participate in the Satyagraha protests on Monday morning.
The Congress has decided that all its top leaders and MPs would take out a protest march to the agency headquarters in New Delhi and stage a "satyagraha" against what the party called its "misuse" by the central government.
A Satyagraha programme will also be conducted at all the state headquarters across the country including Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
The National Herald is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.
Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.
The questioning of the Gandhis is part of the ED's investigation to understand the share holding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL.
The agency registered a fresh case after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
Swamy had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian Pvt Ltd, paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.