National Herald case: Rahul Gandhi to appear before ED on June 13; Congress plans protest
The protest was finalised at a virtual meeting of the party convened by general secretary KC Venugopal.
The Congress is planning to put up a show of its strength on June 13 when its leader Rahul Gandhi will appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case. Gandhi has been summoned by the ED in the National Herald case.
News agency PTI, citing sources, reported that the protest will be staged outside the ED's headquarters in New Delhi and its offices in respective states against what the party calls “misuse” of agencies by the Centre. Party's top leaders and MPs will take part in a protest march and stage a "satyagrah".
The protest was finalised at a virtual meeting of the party convened by general secretary KC Venugopal. "Congress leaders will sit in 'satyagraha' in front of all ED offices across India against the misuse of ED by PM Modi," a senior party leader was quoted as saying after the meeting.
He added that in Delhi, all the Congress MPs and Congress Working Committee (CWC) members will march to the ED office against its "misuse" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.
The case in which Gandhi has been summoned pertains to the probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper. The paper is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.
Sonia Gandhi was also asked to appear before the ED on Wednesday, but she had sought time from the agency as she was recovering from the coronavirus infection.
The party has maintained that the charges against its leaders are "fake and baseless", saying the summonses are part of the BJP's "vendetta politics".
Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore tweeted, "I will join and march towards ED office in Delhi. No FIR. Bogus case to malign a honest leader. 9 AM 13th June. Join in Delhi or join Congress satyagraha in front of ED office in your state."
(With agency inputs)
