Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], November 30 : Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday slammed the BJP government following the filing of a fresh FIR in the National Herald money laundering case and said that it's a ploy by the ruling party to divert attention from the core issues, such as 'vote theft' and Special Intensive Revision which opposition has planned to raise in the Winter Session of Parliament set to begin tomorrow.
The remarks from the Congress leader came after Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed a new FIR in the National Herald money laundering case, which included six names, in addition to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. It was registered after the ED headquarters filed a complaint with the EOW.
In a post on X, Pilot said, "As the winter session of Parliament is set to begin, the BJP, using its manipulative tactics, has brought up baseless accusations in the National Herald Case. This appears to be an attempt to divert attention from core issues such as SIR process, vote chori and related concerns. After Bihar, 12 states are undergoing the SIR process with significant challenges and increasing pressure on BLOs. We need answers to these core issues, not diversionary tactics."
Earlier today, Senior Advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi sharply criticised what he described as "strategic and selective leaks" in the National Herald case, soon after learning that the Rouse Avenue Court had stayed a magistrate's order directing service of a "belated FIR" on the accused.
Singhvi, in a post on X, said it was ironic that the accused still did not have a copy of the FIR, while "the whole world" appeared to know its contents through selective disclosures by the EOW and the ED.
Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi again adjourned the decision on whether to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) chargesheet in the National Herald case.
The chargesheet names several senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED has alleged financial irregularities involving Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald. The court is now set to pronounce its order on December 16.
The National Herald case originated from a complaint filed by former MP Subramanian Swamy, alleging misuse of funds by Congress leaders and companies linked to AJL.