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On ED notice to Sonia-Rahul, BJP chief Nadda says 'criminals deny' their crimes
The Enforcement Directorate has issued a summon to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with the alleged National Herald money laundering case. The central agency has asked Sonia to join the investigation on June 8 in New Delhi.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda took a swipe at Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul after they were summoned by the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering case. Nadda declared that a criminal will always deny their crimes and was quoted by news agency ANI as asking: "Have you ever seen a criminal say I'm (a) criminal? They will, (Sonia and Rahul) of course, deny it."
Nadda further said the probe agency's documents were “proof” of the Gandhis' crimes. “If chargesheet is filed, you would approach court to get it quashed. But they sought bail, which means they are guilty," the BJP chief reasoned.
The central agency issued summons to the Gandhis on Wednesday in connection with the National Herald money laundering case that the agency closed in 2015.
The ED has asked Sonia to join the probe in New Delhi on June 8, while Rahul has been asked to appear earlier. However, according to news agency PTI, the former Congress chief has written to the federal agency to reschedule the date to after June 5 as he is not in the country.
The ED has been investigating Associate Journals Ltd (AJL), the holding company of the National Herald newspaper, and the role of several Congress leaders under the anti-money laundering law since 2016; this was after taking cognisance of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case.
Also Read | Explained: What is National Herald case in which ED summoned Sonia Gandhi, Rahul
The central agency claims the accused - which includes former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and late party leader Motilal Vora - “used proceeds of crime” in the form of land illegally allotted to AJL in Panchkula in Haryana, and pledged it to avail loan from a Syndicate Bank branch in Delhi to construct a building in Mumbai's posh Bandra region.
The aforementioned property, valued at ₹16.38 crore, was attached by the ED in 2020.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala lashed out at the ED for their summons to Sonia and Rahul. He said “the British tried suppress it (the National Herald newspaper)” and today the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is “also doing the same”.
Surjewala further stated that the ED is “being used” in this matter.
