Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy and Karnataka Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar in its latest chargesheet filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the National Herald case.
While neither leader has been listed as an accused, the mention of their names has sparked a political storm, particularly in Telangana, where the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has launched sharp attacks against the Congress government.
Allegations detailed in chargesheet
According to the ED’s chargesheet, senior Congress leaders were allegedly instructed to mobilise large donations for Young Indian Limited, the company at the centre of the National Herald investigation and controlled by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The agency claims that, during his tenure as Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president, Revanth Reddy directed several Congress leaders and business figures to donate substantial sums to Young Indian and Associated Journals Limited (AJL), sometimes issuing veiled warnings that non-compliance could harm their political or business interests.
The ED cited specific instances, including a statement from Congress leader Arvind Vishwanath Singh Chauhan, who claimed to have donated Rs 30 lakh via bank transfer and Rs 20 lakh in cash to Young Indian, allegedly under pressure from Revanth Reddy.
The agency further noted that between 2018–19 and 2019–20, Young Indian received Rs 6.90 crore and Rs 5.05 crore in donations, respectively, with portions of these funds reportedly used to pay legal fees for an Income Tax appeal.
Over a dozen entities are also alleged to have paid Rs 6.8 crore to AJL for “advertisements,” allegedly at the behest of Congress leaders, including Revanth Reddy.
In Karnataka, DK Shivakumar admitted to donating Rs 25 lakh to the National Herald, stating that the contribution was made openly and that both he and his brother had also donated through their trust.
The ED’s chargesheet references similar donation patterns involving Congress leaders in Karnataka and Punjab.
Political fallout in Telangana
The BRS, led by working president KT Rama Rao (KTR), has seized on the ED’s chargesheet, accusing the Congress of turning Telangana into an “ATM for Scamgress” and demanding a response from the national Congress leadership.
KTR called for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to clarify their stance on Revanth Reddy’s continued leadership, given the gravity of the allegations.
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