Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other senior party leaders during a meeting at AICC office after being called for questioning in the National Herald case
Highlight
- ED questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for 10 hours in National Herald case
- Hundreds of Congress workers take part in Satyagraha march against ED in Delhi, state capitals
- Police detained 459 Congress workers, senior leaders including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Kharge
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for ten hours in a money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper. Party leaders and supporters staged protests across the country to show solidarity with the senior leader and accused the BJP-led central government of misusing agencies to target opposition leaders.
What happened in ED office?
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the investigating agency on Monday at 11.10 am along with several leaders including his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and CRPF personnel were also present with them. He was given a break of 80 minutes in the afternoon and was in the ED office till 10 pm.
The 51-year-old Gandhi, after walking some distance along with his supporters, went to the ED office in central Delhi, a few kilometers from the party headquarters on Akbar Road, in a convoy of seven cars. Gandhi, who entered the federal agency’s headquarters in central Delhi around 11.10 am, was questioned about 20 minutes later, after he completed some brief legal proceedings and recorded his presence. Officials said the ED allowed him to go for lunch around 2:10 pm and he returned for questioning around 3.30 pm.
opposition to congress
Hundreds of Congress workers took to the streets in Delhi and state capitals and several senior leaders including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Randeep Surjewala and KC Venugopal were detained in Delhi amid a massive show of strength by the party. Who had called for a Satyagraha march against the ED summons.
The main opposition party alleged that the Delhi Police carried out a “killer attack” on its leader Venugopal and others, in which former home ministers P Chidambaram and Pramod Tiwari broke a rib between their heads.
459 Congress workers, leaders detained
Delhi Police on Monday detained 459 Congress workers and senior leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, KC Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge, for non-compliance of police’s instructions to maintain law and order in the national capital, officials said.
assault charge
The Congress on Monday alleged that the Delhi Police carried out a “killer attack” on its leader KC Venugopal and others during their protest march taken out in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi. P Chidambaram and Pramod Tiwari have hairline fractures in their ribs.
Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that some other Congress leaders were also injured as Delhi Police thrashed them and detained thousands of its workers since last night.
The atrocities of Delhi Police and Modi government are not taking its name to stop. They have made a deadly attack on AICC general secretary organization KC Venugopal and brutally beat up Delhi in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil with sticks.
Surjewala alleged in a video message, “Look at the atrocities of Delhi Police that former Home Minister and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram was also assaulted and his rib was broken and his glasses were found broken on the road outside the AICC office. Gone.” Modi government does not know how a former home minister of the country is treated? He asked.
National Herald case
The investigation pertains to alleged financial irregularities in Young Indian promoted by the party, which owns the National Herald newspaper published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL). Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.
As part of the probe, the agency had questioned senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal in April. Officials had said that the questioning of senior Congress leaders and the Gandhi family is part of the probe to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of promoters of Young Indian and AJL.
The ED had recently registered a fresh case under criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here ordered an Income Tax Department investigation against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013. had taken cognizance of. The Gandhi family had secured separate bail from the court in 2015 after furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and one surety.
(agencies input)