ED summons bid to muzzle Opposition: Congress

Chandigarh, June 12

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Ranjeet Ranjan today alleged that the Enforcement Directorate summons issued to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi was the BJP government’s tactic to muzzle the voice of Opposition and divert public attention from pressing issues like inflation, unemployment, deteriorating security situation in Kashmir and social disharmony.

Addressing a press conference here today, Ranjan said the ED summons were legally and technically untenable as no case could be made out since there was no transaction of money anywhere. Referring to the National Herald case, she said, the Congress had bailed out the newspaper that was running in huge losses.

She said of the Rs 90 crore, Rs 67 crore was paid to employees as VRS and gratuity. Some of the remaining amount was paid as rent and electricity charge, while some was utilised to clear dues owed to the government.

The Congress leader clarified that the ‘Young India’ was only acting as the protector and its directors had not taken a single penny from it.