This Article is From Jun 12, 2022

For Rahul Gandhi Meet With Enforcement Directorate, Congress Plans Protest

Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that party workers will hold protests at around 25 offices of the Enforcement Directorate across the country.

For Rahul Gandhi Meet With Enforcement Directorate, Congress Plans Protest

The party has maintained that the charges against its leaders are "fake and baseless"

New Delhi:

Congress is planning to put up a huge show of strength on Monday when its leader and MP Rahul Gandhi will appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.

Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that party workers will hold demonstrations at around 25 offices of the Enforcement Directorate across the country, to protest the alleged misuse of the central investigative agencies by the Central government.

Senior leaders will march with Mr Gandhi to the office of the probe agency in the national capital tomorrow, he said.

Mr Tagore accused the government of hatching a conspiracy to implicate Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and party leader Rahul Gandhi in a 'fake' case.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are using ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to silence the voice of opposition," the Congress leader said.

Congress has maintained that the charges against its leaders are "fake and baseless", saying the summonses are part of the BJP's "vendetta politics".

"Leaders of opposition parties across the country are being raided and action is being taken against them. Congress will protest against this dictatorial attitude of the BJP," Mr Tagore said.
   
Sonia Gandhi, who has also been summoned for questioning, will appear before the Enforcement Directorate on June 23.

Mrs Gandhi had to skip the earlier summons after she tested positive for Covid on June 2.

The case pertains to the probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper, founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, the great-grandfather of Mr Gandhi.

The paper is published by Associated Journals Limited and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.

The agency registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a Delhi court took cognisance of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

Earlier this month, the probe agency said that the questioning of the Gandhis is part of the investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL.

ED recently also questioned senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal in the case.

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