The Congress on Tuesday responded to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) decision to attach assets belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian (YI) in its money laundering probe into the affairs of Congress-run National Herald newspaper.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that the decision reflects “ED’s desperation to divert attention from certain defeat in the ongoing elections in each state”.

“PMLA action can only be consequential to some predicate or main offence,” he said. “There is no transfer of any immovable property. There is no movement of money. There are no proceeds of crime. Indeed, there is no complainant who claims to have been cheated: not a single one!!”

He claimed that the step is a “prefabricated structure of deceit, lies and falsehood” by the BJP “to divert, distract and digress” in the middle of the elections.

“No BJP coalition partner – CBI, ED or IT – can prevent certain impending defeat of the BJP. An assignment of loan without transfer of any immovable property or movement of money is being dressed up to justify the attachment and freezing of assets of a company which runs an iconic voice of the Indian independence movement – the National Herald – only because it is linked to the Congress party and its legacy,” Singhvi wrote.

He further added: “These petty vendetta tactics shall not frighten the Indian National Congress in any way.”

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth ₹751 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian (YI).

While immovable properties worth ₹661 crore belonging to AJL have been attached in Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow, YI’s proceeds of crime have been attached in the form of equity shares.

“Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth ₹751.9 crore in a money-laundering case investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Investigation revealed that M/s Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs. 661.69 crore and M/s. Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 90.21 Crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL,” the ED said in its statement.

The agency initiated money-laundering investigation against National Herald on the basis of process issued by the court of Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi after taking cognisance of a private complaint vide order dated June 26, 2014.

In its statement on Tuesday, the ED said that court held that seven accused persons including M/s Young India, prima facie committed offences of criminal breach of trust u/s 406 of Indian Penal Code, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property under section 420 (cheating) of IPC, dishonest misappropriation of property u/s 403 and criminal conspiracy u/s 120B of the Indian Penal Code.