Bengaluru : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the central government following the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
Calling it a continuation of "revenge politics" led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Siddaramaiah alleged that the ED is being misused as a political weapon to silence opposition voices.
"The Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s action in filing a chargesheet against senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who is the lion's dream for the central government, is a continuation of the revenge politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah," Siddaramaiah posted on X.
"This is not just an act of revenge against two leaders of our party or the Congress party, this is a warning by the Narendra Modi government to the opposition parties and democracy-loving citizens of the country that the voice of opposition will not be tolerated. The Congress party, which has been facing the politics of hatred, will also face this with the strength of truth and justice," he asserted.
The Karnataka Chief Minister accused the Modi government of targeting democratic dissent and warned that Congress workers across the country would take to the streets in protest. "The Narendra Modi-led government, which has been using the autonomous investigative agency ED as a weapon to create hatred against opposition leaders, has now used the false allegation of illegal transfer of funds in the National Herald case. It is clear that this politics of hatred is being carried out as per the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah," Siddaramaiah said.
He alleged that the ED has "fabricated" stories and filed a chargesheet when it has not yielded any results. "The ED, which has been continuously harassing and torturing our party's top leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, under the pretext of interrogation, has fabricated stories and filed a chargesheet when it has not yielded any results," the Karnataka CM said.
"Every Congress party worker will take to the streets to protest against the authoritarian attitude of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Every citizen who believes in the Constitution and democracy must join hands in this resistance," he emphasized further.
The Enforcement Directorate, on Tuesday, filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and others in the alleged National Herald case. Congress strongly protested the move, terming it "politically motivated."