Amid heavy police deployment and detentions to prevent protests by Congress workers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned former Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the second day in a row in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.
The former Congress chief has been summoned for a third time on Wednesday, said ED sources.
Accompanied by his sister and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mr. Gandhi arrived at the ED headquarters around 11.05 a.m. But the questioning is said to have started from 11.30 a.m. and went on till 3.30 p.m., when the Congress leader took an hour-long lunch break.
Accompanied by his sister and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mr. Gandhi arrived at the ED headquarters around 11.05 a.m. But the questioning is said to have started from 11.30 a.m. and went on till 3.30 p.m., when the Congress leader took an hour-long lunch break.
Rejoining the investigation at 4.30 p.m., Mr. Gandhi left the ED office close to midnight as his questioning went on for more than 11 hours.
‘Vendetta politics’
While the Congress called the repeated summons as “vendetta politics,” Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of unleashing the “terror of Central agencies and bulldozer politics”.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also took strong objection to the Delhi Police stopping him while he was on his way to the Badarpur police station where some senior Congress leaders and MPs were lodged after detention.
Among the senior leaders who were detained for the second day included party’s Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, General Secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi, Deepender Singh Hooda, Ranjeet Ranjan among others.
Police detain Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala during a protest march outside the AICC headquarters, ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s second appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case, in New Delhi, on June 14, 2022. | Photo Credit: PTI
Visuals of Rajya Sabha member Jeby Mather and Youth Congress chief B.V. Srinivas being roughed up by the police went viral.
“Shame on you @CPDelhi . @AdvJebiMather is Member of Parliament.. Hon’ble chairperson @VPSecretariat will take action? Why @smritiirani silent when women leader is treated so badly? She is the women & child welfare minister or Troll minister only,” Lok Sabha member Manickam Tagore tweeted.
Ahead of his questioning by the ED, Mr. Gandhi joined senior party leaders at a “dharna” at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, where Mr. Gehlot and Mr. Baghel – who are camping in Delhi – were present and so was Ms. Vadra.
In almost a replay of Monday’s scenes, CRPF security personnel of Mr. Gandhi, who is Z Plus security protectee, placed themselves on the foot board of his SUV as his convoy made it to the ED office.
Barricades put up
All the approach roads leading to the ED office or the AICC headquarters were out of bounds for the public as barricades were put up and anti-riot police force, Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed to prevent Congress workers gathering in large numbers.
“We had detained 217 people, including some senior functionaries of the Congress from the New Delhi district and sent to various police stations. They have been released now,” said Sagar Preet Hooda, Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order Division.
Many Congress leaders, however, tweeted they were released at 11.45 p.m., after Mr. Gandhi left the ED office.
There were different versions why the Congress leader was being repeatedly summoned. While agency sources claimed that Mr. Gandhi recorded his statement and checked its transcript minutely, Congress leaders claimed that the investigators took multiple breaks during his questioning.
The questioning is said to be related to the incorporation of the Young Indian company, the operations of the National Herald newspaper, the loan given by the Congress to the Associated Journal Limited (AJL) that used to publish the National Herald.
The case to investigate alleged financial irregularities under the PMLA was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe that was carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
Dr. Swamy had approached the court alleging that the assets of the AJL were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian, in which Ms. Gandhi and her son owned 38% shares each.
Young Indian paid ₹50 lakh to the Congress for transferring the ₹90-crore debt to it, the complaint said.
But the Congress claimed that the 1937-established AJL faced huge debts and the party, from 2002 to 2011, gave ₹90 crore to pay salaries of the staff of National Herald.
Published - June 14, 2022 12:01 pm IST
