Expected highhandedness: Congress on police barricade at headquarters before Sonia Gandhi's questioning

The Congress on Thursday said the Delhi Police barricaded the party headquarters on 24 Akbar Road barring media to enter the party office. This is an attack on democracy, Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

Published on: Jul 21, 2022, 09:02:20 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Poulomi Ghosh

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As the Congress plans to launch a nationwide protest on Thursday as Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi appears before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the National Herald case, party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh complained that the Delhi Police was preventing the media from entering the Congress party headquarters. Accusing the Delhi Police of showing 'highhandedness', Jairam Ramesh said this reflects the mindset of the Modi Sarkar and was expected.

Sonia Gandhi has been summoned by the ED on Thursday at 11am. (PTI)

"From the early hours of this morning the Delhi Police—obviously taking orders from the Union Home Minister—is preventing the media from entering the Congress party headquarters. This high-handedness was only to be expected and reflects the mindset of the Modi Sarkar," Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

This is not an attack on the Congress alone but on India's democracy, Jairam Ramesh said adding that non-violent Gandhian Satyagraha is the constitutional right of every Indian.

"We understand that the government is using ED to stop the Congress from raising the voice of the people on important issues like inflation, unemployment, but we will continue to fulfil the duty of the people of the country to ask tough questions to the government without fear and bowing," the Congress leader said.

The police have already made elaborate arrangements and have barricaded Akbar Road since Wednesday night. Congress leader Manickam Tagore shared a video last night saying, "Congress office HQ in Akbar Road but now closed by shah police.... They know the strength of Congress workers and their commitment."

After missing the earlier dates of June 8 and June 21 owing to Covid-19, Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to depose before the investigators at 11am on Thursday. Sonia Gandhi developed a mild fever on June 1 evening and was found Covid-19 positive upon testing the next morning. The ED last month questioned Rahul Gandhi on several occasions in the case.

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