Congress workers are detained during a protest march outside AICC headquarters ahead of party leader Rahul Gandhi’s second appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case, Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
Highlight
- Rahul Gandhi was questioned in connection with the National Herald money laundering probe
- The opposition continued the protest and assaulted the BJP, accusing it of a conspiracy to defame the Gandhi family.
- 51-year-old Rahul Gandhi was questioned for 10 hours on Monday
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi walks out of Enforcement Directorate’s office after 11 hours of questioning. The agency, however, has summoned him for another round of questioning on Wednesday. Rahul Gandhi was questioned in connection with the National Herald money laundering probe. He was summoned even as the opposition party continued its protest and accused the BJP of conspiring to defame the Gandhi family through a ‘false’ case.
51-year-old Gandhi, who was questioned for more than 10 hours a day ago, arrived at the ED headquarters at APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi on Tuesday along with his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and was questioned at 11:30 am. Started at , After a session of about four hours, Gandhi took a break of about an hour at around 3.30 pm and went home. He again joined the questioning and was in the ED office at 9 pm.
The former Congress president had left the central agency’s office at 11.10 pm on Monday after several sessions of questioning and recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Read also: ED questioned Rahul Gandhi for 10 hours, Congress’s Satyagraha March | all that happened
Gandhi joined ‘dharna’ along with other leaders
Earlier in the day, Gandhi joined senior party leaders in a “dharna” at the Congress headquarters, where Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh chief ministers, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party MPs were also present.
Hundreds of Congress leaders and supporters were detained at 24, Akbar Road and outside the party headquarters in central Delhi as they tried to protest against the ED’s action for the second day. The BJP hit out at the opposition party, saying it was blocking roads to show its “leaders are above the law” and termed the protest a “drama”.
Congress is doing drama: Sambit Patra
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “When legal action is being taken in corruption case, Congress is doing this drama and blocking roads. This shows that the party considers its leaders above the law. ” Union Minister Anurag Thakur also took a dig at the ED’s questioning of Rahul Gandhi after the Congress leader criticized the Prime Minister’s decision to provide 10 lakh government jobs in the next 18 months.
The BJP leader told reporters, ‘I will only ask Rahul ji that you first give a correct answer to the ED on the serious allegations of corruption against you.
Read also: Rahul Gandhi ED appearance: ‘BJP has imposed undeclared emergency in Delhi’, says Surjewala
BJP conspiring to defame Gandhi family: Congress
The Congress, however, accused the BJP of conspiring to defame the Gandhi family and the party through a “false” money laundering case being run by the Enforcement Directorate. Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed that the Center is scared of Gandhi’s politics as he is raising public issues.
“This whole exercise is illegal, unconstitutional, malicious and an exercise by a prime minister who is burning in the fire of political vendetta,” Surjewala told a press conference here.
The Congress had alleged that the police manhandled its leaders during Monday’s protest as they were trying to reach the ED office.
All roads leading to the agency office were closed to the public on Tuesday due to the imposition of prohibitory orders and barricades.
Read also: Congress President Sonia Gandhi hospitalized due to post-Covid issues
Several Congress leaders detained after protest
A large number of police personnel, including the Central Anti-Riot Police Force (RAF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were deployed. KC Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were among the party leaders who were detained for violating prohibitory orders outside the party office on Akbar Road.
Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore said he and some other leaders, including PL Punia, were not allowed to enter the Congress office and were detained at Mandir Marg police station. Other detained leaders include Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi, Deepender Singh Hooda, Ranjit Ranjan, JB Mather, Imran Pratapgarhi, Youth Congress chief BV Srinivas and National Students Union of India (NSUI) chief Neeraj Kundan. Even beat him up.
‘Political vendetta’, says Congress leader KC Venugopal
Venugopal said this was nothing but “political vendetta” by the Modi government, which was trying to defame the Congress leadership through “false cases”. “They can imprison us but they cannot imprison the truth. The fight for truth will continue,” he said.
Officials said Gandhi has been called again on June 15 as interrogation and recording of statements are taking a long time. While agency sources said Gandhi recorded his statement and scrutinized his transcript, Congress leaders claimed that investigators took several breaks during his interrogation on Monday.
Read also: opinion | National Herald case: Money laundering or political vendetta?
Assistant director level officer questioned Gandhi
The investigating officer in the case, an assistant director-rank ED officer, is expected to continue inquiries related to the incorporation of Young Indian Company, operations of the National Herald newspaper, loans given by Congress to AJL and funds. Transfer within the news media establishment.
The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in Congress-promoted Young Indian Pvt Ltd, which owns the National Herald. The newspaper is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and is owned by Young Indian.
Gandhi’s mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is currently admitted in a hospital here due to issues related to Kovid, has also been called by the agency for questioning in the matter on June 23.
This is the first time that a member of the First Family of Congress is being questioned in a criminal case. The ED had questioned Priyanka Gandhi’s husband Robert Vadra a few years ago in a money laundering case related to the alleged land scam in Rajasthan. The Congress has accused the Center of misusing investigative agencies to target opposition leaders.
Delhi Police detains 217 Congress workers
The Delhi Police on Tuesday detained 217 Congress workers and leaders, including 15 MPs from New Delhi district, for protesting the ED’s questioning of Rahul Gandhi in violation of prohibitory orders and despite not being granted permission.
They were later released, a police officer said. Hundreds of Congress supporters and leaders, including KC Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, were detained outside the party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road and around central Delhi, as they tried to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s questioning by the ED for the second day in a row. Was. In the National Herald money laundering investigation.
(With inputs from India TV reporter Atul Bhatia and new agencies)
Read also: Chidambaram suspects hairline crack after 3 policemen ‘crashed’ during protest