Meghalaya Congress stages protest in Shillong following court dismissal of ED case against Gandhis

The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee held a protest meeting at Congress Bhavan on December 17, condemning what party leaders described as the misuse of central investigative agencies to target political opposition.

The demonstration came a day after a special court in Delhi rejected the Enforcement Directorate's prosecution complaint against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case. The MPCC used the court's decision to reinforce its allegations of politically motivated prosecutions under the current government.

During the protest, party leaders accused the BJP of following a predictable pattern of announcing raids, amplifying allegations through selective leaks, and conducting media trials instead of presenting substantive evidence. They pointed to the Rouse Avenue Court's refusal to take cognisance of the ED's complaint as vindication of their position.

The MPCC emphasised that the court found the complaint lacked a valid predicate offence, which is a mandatory legal requirement for invoking the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. According to party representatives, this finding exposes fundamental weaknesses in how the ED has been deployed under the present government.

Congress leaders stated that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have committed no wrongdoing, asserting there has been no personal enrichment, diversion of public funds, or criminal gain. They maintained that the repeated failure of the prosecution to meet basic legal thresholds confirms the case was driven by political intent rather than legal substance.

The protest highlighted broader concerns about the erosion of institutional neutrality through what the MPCC termed the weaponisation of central agencies for partisan purposes. Party representatives reaffirmed their commitment to upholding democratic values and the rule of law.

The court's decision on December 16 represents a significant setback for the Enforcement Directorate. The Rouse Avenue Court declined to examine the allegations on merit, observing that "the prosecution itself was unsustainable from the outset." The court rejected attempts to rely on a private complaint or subsequent procedural developments as substitutes for a legally registered criminal offence.

MPCC leaders concluded the protest by stating that whilst they face every challenge with transparency and resolve, their focus remains on issues affecting ordinary Indians—unemployment, rising prices, agrarian distress, and the weakening of democratic institutions.

Party officials emphasised their message: "Vendetta is not governance, propaganda is not proof, and power cannot override justice."

The Congress reaffirmed its faith in the Constitution and the independence of the judiciary, stating that the court's order decisively defeats attempts to intimidate the opposition through politically driven prosecutions.