BJP trying to defame Nehru-Gandhi family on baseless allegations: Uttam Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad: Accusing the BJP Government at the Centre of targetting the Nehru-Gandhi family on baseless allegations, Congress MP & former TPCC President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy asked the party cadre to participate in the nationwide protest on 21st and 22nd July. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be visiting the Enforcement Directorate's office on July 21 in response to the summons sent by the ED in the National Herald case.

Addressing a press conference through Zoom App on Tuesday, Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the BJP Govt was using Central agencies, especially the Enforcement Directorate as a tool to target the opposition leaders. He said that the allegations of money laundering in the National Herald case by the Enforcement Directorate were completely false. He said there was no basis for the ED or any other Central agency to question Congress president Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi. He pointed out that the National Herald issue was a simple debt-to-equity conversion with absolutely no transaction of money. Since no money was involved in the transaction, the question of money laundering does not arise, he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the BJP Govt has been using the ED only to defame the Nehru-Gandhi family, demoralise the Congress cadre and divert the people's attention from real issues like rising inflation, China's intrusion into India, etc., He said that debt-to-equity conversion was a regular process which lending banks do frequently, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Govt has revived the National Herald issue which was earlier closed.

"Congress leaders and the entire cadre will never allow the BJP Govt to harass Sonia Gandhi. We will hold protests across the country on 21st and 22nd July to express our solidarity with our leader and also to convey a message that we will not bow down to the intimidating tactics of the Modi Govt," he said.

Calling Sonia Gandhi one of the greatest leaders of the nation in this century, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Nehru-Gandhi family has given a lot of sacrifices for the country. He said former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi achieved martyrdom for the integrity of the nation. Sonia Gandhi sacrificed the top post although she had the opportunity to become the Prime Minister in two terms of the UPA Govt from 2004-2014. The Nehru-Gandhi family always served the country selflessly without aspiring for any post, he said.

"Entire population of Telangana supports Sonia Gandhi as she has turned our 60-year-old dream of Telangana into a reality. She gave a big political sacrifice by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. Despite knowing well that the party will lose power in Andhra Pradesh, she created Telangana only to fulfill the aspirations of the people. It was the political will of Sonia Gandhi which led to the creation of Telangana. Therefore, we will stage a strong protest across Telangana State against the BJP Govt which is trying to defame her on baseless allegations," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that it was under Sonia Gandhi's leadership that the then Congress-led UPA Govt introduced revolutionary laws and measures like MGNREGS, the Food Security Act, Right to Information Act (RTI), Right to Education (RTE), etc, to empower the people. "Unlike BJP Govt, which is exploring various means to harass the opposition parties, especially Congress, the UPA Govt focussed on empowerment of common people during its 10-year regime. By trying to implicate Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in a non-existent case, the BJP Govt is trying to downplay their contribution to nation-building. This is a part of BJP's conspiracy to distort the history of India," he said while adding that the BJP would fail in all its attempts.

The Congress MP urged the entire cadre of Telangana Congress to participate in the protests on 21st and 22nd July in large numbers to express their solidarity with Sonia Gandhi.