Himachal Congress leaders stage protest against ED questioning Sonia Gandhi

Congress campaign panel head Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, opposition leader Mukesh Agnihotri, All India Congress Committee in-charge for Himachal affairs Sanjay Dutt and national spokesman Kuldeep Singh Rathore were among those present during the protest over ED questioning Sonia Gandhi

The Himachal unit of the Congress party staged a protest outside the Enforcement Directorate’s sub-zonal office in Shimla against the probe agency questioning party president Sonia Gandhi in a money-laundering case linked to the National Herald-Associated Journals Limited case.

Himachal Congress leaders, led by campaign panel head Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, protest outside the ED office at Chota Shimla on Thursday as the ED summoned Sonia Ganshi for questioning in money-laundering case linked to the National Herald-Associated Journals Limited case. (Deepak Sansta/HT)

Congress campaign panel head Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, opposition leader Mukesh Agnihotri, All India Congress Committee in-charge for Himachal affairs Sanjay Dutt and national spokesman Kuldeep Singh Rathore were among those present.

Sukhu accused the Centre of using its agencies to settle political scores with its rivals. “Our leaders have made sacrifices for the nation. Sonia ji had even given up the post of Prime Minister. This government is using its agencies to tarnish her image,” said Sukhu while adding that the Narendra Modi-led government is targeting Congress leaders to divert attention from issues like inflation, unemployment, corruption and Good Services Tax.

Rohit Thakur said it is not for the first time that Congress leaders are being targeted. “It has happened earlier too but all these attempts will prove futile,” said Thakur.

Leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri said, “The government is humiliating women who have worked for the nation. Sonia ji is not well, she is still suffering from post-Covid problems. The fact that the agencies still summoned her proves their high-handedness.”

Legislators Harwardhan Chauhan, Bhawani Singh Pathania, Ashish Butail, Nanand Lal, Mohan Lal Brakta, Vinay Kumar and Vikram Aditya Singh also participated in the protest.

This isn’t satyagraha, it’s blasphemy against country’s laws: BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma criticised the protests organised by the Congress leaders and said that this only raises questions about their intentions.

“If Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have not indulged in any corruption, why are they running away from interrogation?” said Sharma.

He further said the National Herald case started during the Congress regime, thus it is wrong to term it as BJP’s political vendetta.

Referring to the Congress protests, he said, “This is not a satyagraha, it is blasphemy against the laws of the country and the country’s institutions.”