New Delhi, June 13
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was questioned for over 10 hours by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper and was called to depose again on Tuesday, as his party protested across the country, alleging that the Centre was targeting the Opposition by misusing agencies.
WHAT IS THE CASE
THE ALLEGATIONS
1. Associated Journals was founded in 1930s to print National Herald and had 5,000 freedom fighters as shareholders.
2. AJL is now in Gandhi family ownership.
3. AJL declared in 2008 that it won’t print newspapers anymore and will enter real estate.
4. In 2010, a new firm called Young Indian is incorporated with Rs 5 lakh and with Rahul and Sonia Gandhi among other Congress leaders as directors. It pledges to do charity but does none till 2016.
5. AJL’s 9 crore shares (99 pc of all) are transferred to YI. Rahul alone holds 75 pc shares, Sonia and other senior Congress own the rest.
6. Congress gives AJL Rs 90 crore loan which Congress writes off in lieu of alleged ownership of AJL assets worth Rs 2000 crore.
CONGRESS STAND
Loan was given to pay salaries of AJL staffers and to save National Herald. YI is a not for profit company and its ownership still vests with AJL. It can’t pay dividends to shareholders and not a penny has moved. How can there be money laundering without any money changing hands.
Gandhi, who appeared before a central probe agency for the first time for questioning, arrived at the ED office at 11.10 am on Monday accompanied by a battery of leaders, including sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and escorted by armed CRPF personnel. He was given an 80-minute break in the afternoon and left the ED office around 11.30 pm.
Hundreds of Congress workers in Delhi and state capitals took to the streets and several senior leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Randeep Surjewala and K C Venugopal, were detained here amid a massive show of strength by the party which had called for the Satyagraha march against the ED summons.
The principal opposition party alleged that the Delhi police made a “murderous attack” on its leader Venugopal and others, with former home minister P Chidambaram and Pramod Tiwari sustaining hairline rib fracture.
The Delhi Police said while no incident of injuries due to use of force by police has come to its knowledge, it will diligently probe any such complaint and take appropriate action. It said 459 people were detained, including 26 MPs and five MLAs and all women and functionaries have been released.
Lashing out at the government for “not allowing”’ peaceful protest, Congress leaders said they would not kowtow to the Modi government and vowed to continue their agitation.
The BJP hit back at the Congress, accusing its leaders of putting pressure on the ED, supporting corruption and protecting the alleged assets worth Rs 2,000 crore of the Gandhi family.
Noting that nobody is above the law “not even Rahul Gandhi”, BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani claimed that never before such a blatant attempt was made by a political family to hold a probe agency to ransom to protect its “ill-gotten” assets.
Gandhi, 51, went from the party headquarters on Akbar Road to the ED office in central Delhi a few km away in a convoy of seven cars after walking for some distance with his supporters.
After about two-and-a-half hours, he left the ED office for a lunch break during which he met his mother Sonia Gandhi at the Gangaram Hospital, where she has been admitted, and returned at 3.30 pm.
Officials said the questioning on Monday continued well past 9 pm and he has been asked to appear before the ED again on Tuesday.
The former Congress president, a Z+ category protectee of the CRPF after the Union government withdrew the Gandhi family’s SPG cover in 2019, is expected to write down his statement, official sources said.
Prohibitory orders were imposed in parts of central Delhi that were heavily barricaded.
The ED is recording the statement of the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad in Kerala under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The probe is related to alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper, published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL).
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.
Rahul Gandhi is expected to be grilled about the incorporation of the Young Indian company, the operations of the National Herald and the fund transfer within the news media establishment.
“We are not scared. The Modi government should be ashamed that they have turned central Delhi into a fortress just because our leader is going to the ED with his supporters,” Indian Youth Congress President Srinivas BV told PTI near the ED office just before he was detained by the police.
Tempers rose as the day progressed with scenes of slogan shouting and Congress workers jumping barricades and resisting attempts by police to detain them.
Slogans such as “down down BJP”, and “we want justice” rang out in cities such as Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Guwahati, Jammu, Dehradun and Jaipur.
The party claimed it was starting Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Satyagraha’, peaceful resistance, again with the march against the Modi government.
A host of Congress leaders spoke out on the alleged harassment.
In a statement, the Delhi Police said that 15 members of Lok Sabha including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, 11 members of Rajya Sabha including KC Venugopal and leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, five MLAs of different state assemblies and other functionaries were among the total of 459 detained in the New Delhi district for not following lawful directions of police for maintenance of law and order.
All woman workers and functionaries detained by police have been released, it said.
“Some complaints have been received at Tughlak Road police station of New Delhi regarding injuries to congress leaders and workers during police action but no such incident of use of force by police took place as per our knowledge and no MLC case has been reported so far,” said Sagar Preet Hooda, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order, Zone -II Delhi).
“Still, if there are allegations of some manhandling or so during the detention, the same will diligently be looked into for appropriate action,” he said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot alleged that the government was misusing central probe agencies and this was nothing but “political vendetta”.
“All leaders from Kerala to Kashmir are being targeted...Democracy is being throttled and we oppose it strongly,” Baghel said.
Asked whether the party would stage a similar show of strength on June 23 when Sonia Gandhi has been asked to appear before ED, Gehlot said, “The Congress is competent to deal with the situation”.
“This is a fight for democracy. The government is trying to muzzle the voices of opposition leaders,” added former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat.
“Now, a satyagraha will take place at every corner,” he added.
Surjewala said Congress leaders had done nothing wrong and alleged that “Godse’s descendants fear from the truth and they will not be able to suppress the truth”.
Ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s appearance before the ED, brother-in-law Robert Vadra came out in his support and expressed confidence that he would be exonerated from all “baseless accusations”.
“I believe the truth will prevail and this harassment of the prevailing dispensation will not have the effect they desire,” he added.
The Congress party said in a press conference in the morning that all fund movements in this case were legitimate.
In April, the agency questioned senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal as part of the investigation.
The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of the investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials had said.
The ED recently registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian Pvt Ltd paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.
The Delhi High Court in February last year issued a notice to the Gandhis for their response to Swamy’s plea seeking to lead evidence in the matter before the trial court.
The Gandhis had secured separate bails from the court in 2015 after they furnished personal bonds of Rs 50,000 and one surety.
They contended in the Delhi High Court that the plea by Swamy was “misconceived and premature”.
The other accused in the case filed by Swamy are close Gandhi aides Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda. With PTI inputs
16:29 13 Jun
Rahul Gandhi returned to the ED office after the lunch break to resume recording his statement under PMLA in alleged National Herald financial irregularities case. Meanwhile, Randeep Surjewala has been detained at Sarojini Nagar police station.
14:10 13 Jun
Hundreds of workers and leaders of the Congress party on Monday reached Ahmedabad in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi and sent a strong message to the ruling party, that their arm-twisting tactics will not "demoralise or discourage party workers," said Jagdish Thakor, president of the Gujarat Congress.
14:08 13 Jun
Priyanka Vadra Gandhi at Tughlaq Road police station to meet detained leaders KC Venugopal and Harish Rawat.
12:46 13 Jun
The BJP alleged Congress protest march in Delhi is in support of corruption & to protect 'Rs 2,000 cr of Gandhi family'. "Nobody is above law, not even Rahul Gandhi, Congress's march is aimed at putting pressure on probe agency," says BJP's Smriti Irani.
11:16 13 Jun
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached the Enforcement Directorate office today after high drama and a short protest march featuring AICC general secretary Priyanka Vadra and chief ministers Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel among other top party leaders as they attempted to walk to ED office against “the false money laundering case in the National Herald case”.
The leaders were stopped at barricades around AICC headquarters and many detained. Rahul Gandhi later sat in his personal vehicle and drove to ED office.
11:16 13 Jun
Rahul Gandhi leads Congress protest march to ED office as the leader goes to answer summons in National Herald money laundering case
10:55 13 Jun
Rahul Gandhi accompanied by party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrives at Congress headquarters
सत्यमेव जयते https://t.co/PMytDerRgM
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 13, 2022
10:35 13 Jun
Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra on Monday came out in his support saying he will be exonerated from all "baseless accusations". Vadra also cited his own case and how he was summoned 15 times and has been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
In a Facebook post, Vadra, who is married to Priyanka Gandhi, said this government will not be able to suppress the people of the country by such methods of "harassment".
"Rahul, you will be undoubtedly exonerated from all baseless accusations," he said in the post. "I have 15 times been through summons and visits with the Enforcement Directorate and have answered every question and delivered more than 23,000 documents, of my first Rupee earned till date," Vadra said.
10:21 13 Jun
Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's scheduled interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald case, the party on Monday asserted that its leaders cannot be cowed down by police force and will continue with the proposed Satyagrah march.
09:54 13 Jun
Security around the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office here has been beefed up ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's scheduled appearance on Monday for questioning in the National Herald case. Paramilitary forces have been deployed around the ED office in Pravartan Bhawan, APJ Abdul Kalam Road in Lutyens Zone as a precautionary measure.
09:53 13 Jun
The Delhi Traffic Police on Monday issued an advisory for residents of the national capital asking them to avoid certain roads in wake of the proposed march that will be carried out by the Congress party from its headquarters to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office where senior leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to appear.
09:37 13 Jun
The Congress on Monday said the government has clamped an undeclared emergency in Delhi and had arrested many of its leaders beginning last night to prevent leaders from marching to the ED office where Rahul Gandhi will go today to answer summons in the National Herald money laundering case.
09:33 13 Jun
Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore took to a Twitter to say that, "We plan to march with our leader @RahulGandhi .. come if you r in Delhi, let's march to ED office from our party office 24, Akbar Road."
"We know @DelhiPolice will be in full strength not to allow us to our party office then they won't allow as us to March against the injustice,Let's show Shah & Gang that we are Gandhi follower's we will do it in a peaceful way ..
"We are ready to face the 2.0 version of Hitler-Goebbels police who want to stop us from reaching party office. I will join," he said using hashtag "#BJP_Vendetta_Exposed".
08:57 13 Jun
Congress workers stage protest holding placards in support of Rahul Gandhi ahead of his appearance before ED today in the National Herald case.
08:57 13 Jun
"Keeping in view the present communal situation in Delhi and heavy law and order/VVIP movements in the jurisdiction of New Delhi district... The said rally could not be permitted in the jurisdiction of New Delhi district," Deputy Commissioner of Police Amrutha Guguloth said in a letter to the AICC.
08:53 13 Jun
Congress workers were on Monday detained from outside the AICC headquarters here where they had gathered for a proposed march to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office with senior leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of the latter's scheduled appearance later in the day.
08:43 13 Jun
Many MPs confirmed to The Tribune that they had received phone calls to be present at AICC headquarters at 9:30 am on Monday.
Also read: Rahul to appear before ED today amid show of strength by Congress
08:41 13 Jun
Gandhi plans to go the ED office accompanied by several of party MPs and general sectaries apart from CWC members.
08:39 13 Jun
Heavy barricading, prohibitory orders around AICC as Cong leaders gather on Rahul’s ED summons day
08:34 13 Jun
All entry points to AICC HQ have been blocked by the Delhi Police as Congress leaders gather to march with Rahul Gandhi on ED summons day.
08:32 13 Jun
The Delhi Police on Monday imposed prohibitory orders around the AICC and warned of action in event or violation.
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