Day 2 of Rahul's ED questioning, top Congress leaders detained again: 10 points
National Herald Case: Sonia Gandhi will be questioned on June 23. The BJP has slammed the Congress amid demonstrations.
As Rahul Gandhi left for day 2 of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday in the National Herald corruption case, top Congress leaders were detained again, including party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, KC Venugopal, and Gaurav Gogoi. Scenes were not different from the day 1 of the questioning as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied Rahul to the probe agency's office. Amid tight security and barricades, Congress leaders alleged that they were not allowed to reach the party headquarters. Traffic has been diverted in the central Delhi in view of barricading and restrictions.
Here are ten points on the National Herald case questioning and Congress protests:
1. Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress chief, was questioned for nearly nine hours on Monday - after leading the Congress's Satyagraha' march - and left the probe agency office late at night. The Delhi Police has restricted gatherings near the party headquarters on Akbar Road in Delhi.
2. "No one can imagine the pressure from govt on Delhi Police... we can manage with section 144, but you can't stop us from coming into AICC office. Situation in the country is very serious," Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who was detained on Monday, said. Visuals showed party leaders' scuffling with the police.
3. Earlier on Tuesday, Randeep Surjewala at a press conference claimed that the questioning was an attempt at to muzzle the voice of opposition. He said the Congress won't bow down.
4. Delhi saw high political drama and demonstrations on Monday with many top Congress leaders among those detained. Former union minister P Chidambaram alleged high-handedness in the midst of action by cops and said he had suffered a hairline fracture. Meanwhile, the BJP hit out at the grand old party for “celebrating corruption” in the form of demonstrations. Several other parts in the country saw similar dramatic scenes and demonstrations.
5. The Congress’s “Satyagraha protest” - against what it claimed the alleged misuse of the probe agencies by the centre - began early on Monday. Sloganeering, demonstrations, posters, air balloons were seen at party headquarters and other parts of the national capital.
6. Twenty-six MPs, five MLAs and more than 450 workers of the party were detained in the national capital, the Delhi Police said in a statement, news agency PTI reported. It had earlier said that the party was told to go to the iconic protest site - the Jantar Mantar - for big gatherings.
7. The Delhi Police also refuted claims of injuries to leaders and party workers during protests. However, it also assured action if any such incidents were confirmed.
8. The leaders of the BJP ripped into the grand old party. “The impasse that Congress leaders and workers are doing today on the call of Rahul Gandhi, I would like to tell the country that this is not an attempt to save democracy, but an attempt to protect the assets of the Gandhi family,” Smriti Irani said.
9. “The world is seeing how even corruption can have 'Satyagraha'. Mahatma Gandhi taught the world to fight for truth while Congress is teaching world to celebrate corruption & fight for it. Gandhis are out on bail, it's not a political case,” BJP’s Sambit Patra said.
9. The Gandhis - accused of misappropriation of funds - had secured separate bails from the court in 2015 after they furnished personal bonds of ₹50,000 in the National Herald case.
10. 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).
(With inputs form ANI, PTI)
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