Rahul at ED office for 4th day of questioning; Cong moves Satyagraha to Jantar Mantar
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday reached the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Delhi for the fourth day of questioning in the National Herald case, even as Congress workers continued their protests against the interrogation at Jantar Mantar, accusing the Centre of doing “vendetta politics.”
Rahul, 51, arrived at the ED headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi at 11.05 AM with his “Z+” category CRPF security escort.
A huge contingent of police and paramilitary personnel was deployed around the federal agency’s office even as Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been imposed in the area like last week.
#WATCH | Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrives at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office, for questioning in the National Herald case. Today is the fourth day of his questioning by the agency. pic.twitter.com/4XHeiqf8Sr
— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2022
The Congress MP from Wayanad has spent a total of about 30 hours at the ED office over three days last week, where he was questioned over multiple sessions and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The fourth day of questioning was deferred from June 17 to June 20 after Rahul requested the agency for postponing the session as he wanted to be with his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in hospital, where she is admitted for post-COVID issues.
The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.
A Congress delegation is slated to meet the President to submit a memorandum on the entry of police into the party headquarters and police misbehaviour with leaders during protests.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader addressed the press and said that the party leaders wouldn’t be organising a protest march from the AICC office to ED office, as done on the three days when Rahul was questioned (June 13-15). He said the protests would instead conducted peacefully at Jantar Mantar.
Delhi | Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Salman Khurshid, K Suresh, V Narayanasamy and others, hold a ‘Satyagraha’ at Jantar Mantar against ED summons to Rahul Gandhi and #AgnipathScheme pic.twitter.com/TbTWnanZww
— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2022
Maken said the party would also oppose the Centre’s Agnipath scheme at the protest.
Later visuals, however, showed police preventing Congress workers from heading to Jantar Mantar to join the Satyagrah with Congress leaders alleging that all roads to the protest site have been blocked by cops.
The ED is understood to be asking Rahul Gandhi about the incorporation of the Young Indian Private Limited, operations of the National Herald, the loan given by the party to the newspaper’s publisher Associated Journals Limited (AJL), and the transfer of funds within the news media establishment.
Sonia Gandhi has also been summoned by the agency for questioning in the case on June 23. The Congress has accused the Centre of targeting opposition leaders by misusing investigative agencies and has termed the entire action a political vendetta.
(With inputs from agencies)
