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11 held as Cong workers set car afire to protest ED questioning of Sonia
At least 11 people have been arrested so far with police stating that they were questioning those in custody to determine their identities and reasons for carrying out such act.
A Congress protest against the enforcement directorate’s (ED) questioning of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case turned violent in Bengaluru on Thursday as the party youth wing workers allegedly set a car on fire to express their anger.
At least 11 people have been arrested so far with police stating that they were questioning those in custody to determine their identities and reasons for carrying out such act.
“Police were there when the incident took place and 11 people so far have been taken into custody and are being questioned,” Prathap Reddy, the Bengaluru city police commissioner said.
The incident took place outside the ED regional office at Shanthinagar in Bengaluru.
He said a case will be filed against them and strict action will be taken against them.
“A video of the car burning has gone viral on social media and we too have footage from CCTV. We will be certain of their affiliations only after questioning but on social media there are claims that they are Congress workers,” Reddy said.
Congress workers across the country protested against the questioning of Sonia Gandhi by the ED in Delhi, claiming it to be a “witch hunt” by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. In Delhi and Kerala, the Congress workers stopped trains. Elsewhere, the protests were more or less peaceful.
In June, Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress president, was questioned by the ED last month and similar protests were seen across the country.
The ED is probing a case related to the National Herald. They are being asked questions about the acquisition of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) by Young Indian Private Limited (YIL), people aware of the matter said, HT reported.
The National Herald, started by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was published by the AJL. In 2010, the AJL, which faced financial difficulties, was taken over by a newly-floated YIL with Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda as directors, both of them Gandhi loyalists.
In a complaint in the Delhi High Court, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy accused Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi, and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds. Officials familiar with the probe said Rahul Gandhi is being asked questions about the takeover of the AJL by YIL since the Gandhi’s have 76% stakes in the latter.
“The Congress has fought tyrants throughout history and that’s what our legacy is-fighting and not giving up the fight for justice. Forcibly taking us away while protesting against govt’s vendetta is proving how scared this govt is of the truth,” DK Shivakumar, the state president of the Congress said in a post on Twitter.
All leaders and workers of the Congress party in Karnataka were seen participating in the protest that led to traffic jams in Bengaluru. Several leaders were also detained by the police.
“Truth and democracy are the same path. An anti-justice can never be a democrat. If the government has the power of authority, Thousands of people have come together to join our voice for truth and justice. Time will decide whether the final victory will be power or people’s power,” Siddaramaiah, the leader of the opposition, said in a post on Twitter.
