Telangana Congress leaders stage dharna at ED office in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, April 17 (IANS) Leaders of Telangana's ruling party, including ministers, on Thursday staged a dharna in front of the regional office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here to protest the charge sheet filed against former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for alleged money laundering in the National Herald case.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) organised the protest in response to the call given by the party's central leadership for protests across the country.

TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, led the protest attended by ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other leaders of the party.

With Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy currently visiting Japan, ministers participated in the dharna.

AICC in-charge for Telangana, Meenakshi Natrajan, and senior leaders participated in the protest.

They accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of "political vendetta" against Sonia and Rahul.

Ministers Damodar Raja Narasimha, Ponnam Prabhakar, Jupally Krishna Rao, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Konda Surekha, senior leader and former MP V. Hanumantha Rao took part in the dharna outside the ED office at Basheerbagh in the heart of the city.

Mahesh Kumar Goud said that the BJP resorted to "political vendetta" as it was worried about the success of the recent AICC session in Gujarat. He alleged that the BJP was using investigative agencies to tarnish the image of Rahul Gandhi.

Prabhakar said that the BJP was "targeting" the Gandhi family, which had made sacrifices for the country.

Transport Minister Prabhakar alleged that the BJP is running the government with the help of the CBI and ED.

He said that this "political vendetta" by the BJP was not good for the country.

Prabhakar exuded confidence that the people of the country would stand by the Gandhi family. He said the Congress would hold nationwide protests.

Expressing full faith in the judiciary, the Congress leaders said they were confident that the Gandhi family would get a clean chit.

Former MP Hanumantha Rao and a few other leaders also staged a protest at the ED office on Wednesday.

Mahesh Kumar Goud had also led a rally on Wednesday to condemn the charge sheet filed by the Central agency against top Congress leaders.

--IANS

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