Despotic govt hell-bent on targeting Congress to whitewash its own sins: Kharge

New Delhi | Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday hit out at the government after the ED chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, saying the "despotic" government is hell-bent on targeting the Congress to whitewash its own "sins".

Kharge also asserted that the Congress shall not be cowed down and will keep raising its voice to expose the government's failures.

"Your despotic Sarkar is hell-bent on targeting the Congress, to whitewash its own sins. BJP's economic mismanagement is spiralling out of control. Desperation is gathering steam. No vision, No solution, only diversion!" he said tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kharge went on to list what he claimed were facts that paint a "sordid saga of BJP's massive failures".

The Congress chief said the trade deficit was at a three-year high with no clarity on tariffs and trade war. "Only empty words and fruitless visits," he said.

Citing the RBI consumer confidence survey of March 2025, the Congress president said 90% of consumers reported that commodity prices had gone up and as a result, over 80% stated their spending increased, even though incomes didn't rise.

Revenue growth of FMCG firms slowed to just 5% in FY25, with margin growth staying flat, he said.

Kharge accused the government of indulging in "fuel loot" and said the Modi government collected a whopping Rs 39 lakh crore as taxes/duties on petrol, diesel and fuel till December 2024.

LPG prices have been raised by Rs 50, giving no respite even for the economically weaker sections, he said.

The Congress president further pointed out that graduates unemployment rate is 13% and youth unemployment rate is 10.2%.

"22 out of the 23 IITs and 23 of the 25 IIITs witnessed a drop in the placement, and NITs witnessed 11% drop in placements," he said.

Kharge also slammed the government over the "FDI plunge" and said the net FDI in India from April to January 2024–25 was just under USD 1.4 billion, as against USD 19 billion from April to January 2012–13.

"People will not forgive the BJP for ruining the Indian economy. We shall not be cowed down. We will keep raising our voices and keep exposing your failures," Kharge said.

His remarks come against the backdrop of the Enforcement Directorate filing a chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and others before a special court here 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.

Congress workers on Wednesday staged a protest outside All India Congress Committee's office at 24, Akbar Road, condemning the BJP-led Central government after the ED's chargesheet.

The Congress on Tuesday alleged the action by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi was "vendetta politics" and that seizing of assets in the case was a "state-sponsored crime masquerading as the rule of law".