Patna, April 16 (PTI) Bihar Congress workers on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in the state capital opposing the chargesheet filed against party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case.

The demonstration was part of the party’s nationwide show of dissent against the ED’s move.

A large number of security personnel were deployed near the ED’s Patna zonal office, with barricades set up to maintain law and order.

The protest march, led by Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar and the party’s in-charge for the state, Krishna Allavaru, began at Income Tax Golumber and concluded outside the ED office near Gandhi Maidan, where the Congress workers staged a sit-in.

Posters and banners displayed across the state capital by Congress members carried slogans criticising BJP leaders and the central investigative agency.

Protesters also raised anti-government chants.

Speaking to reporters, Allavaru said, “This is a politically motivated case. Our leaders have been deliberately targeted by the ruling dispensation at the Centre. This is an attempt to suppress the voice of the opposition.” He added, “Why were Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah silent when our wrestlers were protesting against Brij Bhushan in the national capital? Several BJP ministers in the state are facing serious criminal charges, yet no action is being taken against them by the party’s top leadership.” “All central investigative agencies — ED, CBI and others — are working under the direction of their political masters. They are serving the interests of the BJP. The Congress will not allow this to continue,” he asserted.

Later, the protesting Congress workers were dispersed by security personnel from the protest site.

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and others before a special court in New Delhi in the National Herald case accusing them of allegedly laundering Rs 988 crore.

The prosecution complaint filed on April 9 under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) named Sonia Gandhi, a former Congress president, as the accused no 1, and her son and MP Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as the accused no 2. PTI PKD MNB