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Sonia Gandhi leaves ED office after 2 hours of questioning in National Herald case
The investigation relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday recorded the statement of Congress president Sonia Gandhi for over two hours in the National Herald money-laundering case and ended the session for the day on her request as she is recovering from Covid-19.
Amid massive protests by Congress leaders and workers, Gandhi, 75, had arrived at the ED headquarters located at Vidyut Lane flanking APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi a little after noon escorted by her Z category CRPF security cover.
The questioning began around 12:30pm after completion of some formalities like verification of summons and signature in the attendance sheet, sources said.
She has been allowed to leave on her request made on medical grounds, PTI added. The probe relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.
Earlier in the day, the Opposition issued a joint statement condemning the ED's summon to Gandhi, calling it “relentless campaign of vendetta” against political parties by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government.
The grand old party has also organised protests inside and outside the Parliament, at the AICC headquarters and across the country.
The BJP slammed the Congress, recalling that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Gujarat chief minister and was required to appear before the special investigation team in the Gujarat riots case, there were no protests. “What is the Congress afraid of if they (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi) are not guilty?” asked BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
