Daijiworld Media Network - Guwahati

Guwahati, Apr 16: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, following his inclusion in the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in connection with the National Herald case.

Sarma accused Rahul Gandhi of being involved in large-scale corruption and fraudulent activities related to the newspaper's ownership. “The company was fraudulently taken over by the Gandhi family, and suddenly the wealth of the establishment soared from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2000 crore,” Sarma said, adding that the company was set up under Section 9 of the Companies Registration Act, which prohibits any profit-making, yet the Gandhi family allegedly profited from it.

The Chief Minister also criticized the Congress workers protesting against the ED chargesheet, asserting that they are unaware of the deep corruption involving their leader. "I urge Congress workers to tell their leader to return the public money looted from party funds," he stated. Sarma highlighted the dilapidated state of Congress party offices, questioning why the alleged Rs 2000 crore could not be used to improve their conditions.

Sarma expressed sympathy for the Congress workers on the ground, claiming they were deprived while Rahul Gandhi made money. "Rahul Gandhi always targets others, calling them corrupt. Now, it is time for him and his mother to prove their innocence in court," the Chief Minister added.

The ED chargesheet, filed in a money laundering case, names Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi alongside Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey. The case stems from a 2014 complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, accusing the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), publisher of National Herald, of illegally acquiring properties worth over Rs 2,000 cr and transferring them to Young Indian, a company in which both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold a 38% stake each.