Patna, April 16 (IANS) Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan has sharply criticised Congress leaders for their protest in Patna following the filing of charge sheet by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case, calling it an attempt to influence the investigation.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Chirag Paswan said: “No one is above the law. If someone is guilty, action will be taken — no matter how big a leader or which family they belong to. Protesting on the streets to influence the investigation is not right.”
The ED has filed a charge sheet in the high-profile National Herald case in which senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are named as accused.
The Congress, alleging political vendetta, staged nationwide protests, including a major demonstration outside the ED office in Patna, where black paint was thrown on the signage by party workers.
Chirag Paswan also took a dig at the opposition INDIA bloc, which will hold a key meeting in Patna on Thursday.
He described the alliance as deeply divided, particularly in Bihar, where seat-sharing and leadership questions remain unresolved.
“There is a war among alliance partners over supremacy. The RJD is projecting Tejashwi Yadav as CM, while the Congress is not ready to compromise. The Congress has inducted leaders like Pappu Yadav, which the RJD objects to. All is not well within the INDI alliance,” Paswan said.
He went on to say that resolving internal disputes during Thursday’s meeting would be a major task in itself for the INDIA bloc. Contrasting the INDIA bloc with the ruling NDA, Paswan emphasised the unity within the five-party coalition in Bihar.
“NDA is strong and united. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fulfilling his promises, Home Minister Amit Shah is coming regularly, and all our partners are sitting together. We are heading toward a big win,” he said.
He brushed off Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that the NDA government will fall in the next election, saying: “They’ve been making these statements for years. What have they delivered? What is their blueprint for Bihar? Do they have a vision of how to make Bihar a developed state?”
Paswan accused the opposition of driving Bihar to the verge of destruction during their past rule: “Why should the people trust you? You brought Jungle Raj. You don’t have a plan for Bihar’s future.”
–IANS
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