The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the third time in a row on Wednesday. The Congress leader was questioned for more than over eight hours by officers of the federal agency for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in the National Herald money-laundering case.
After being interrogated for about 10 hours on Monday, Gandhi, 51, came to the ED headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi on Tuesday along with his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and his questioning began at 11:30 am.
After a session of about four hours, Gandhi took a break for about an hour around 3:30pm and went home. He rejoined the questioning around 4:30pm.
A PTI report, quoting officials, said, the questioning and the recording of a statement are taking a long time.
Earlier in the day, the Wayanad MP joined senior party leaders at a "dharna" at the Congress headquarters, where chief ministers of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh -- Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel -- and party MPs were also present.
Hundreds of Congress functionaries were detained outside the party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road and around central Delhi as they tried to hold a protest against the ED action for the second day.
{{/usCountry}}Hundreds of Congress functionaries were detained outside the party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road and around central Delhi as they tried to hold a protest against the ED action for the second day.
{{/usCountry}}MPs KC Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were among scores of party leaders detained for violating prohibitory orders outside the heavily barricaded party office on Akbar road.
Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore said he and some other, including PL Punia, were not allowed to enter the Congress office and detained at the Mandir Marg police station.
Among the other leaders detained were Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi, Deepender Singh Hooda, Ranjeet Ranjan, Jeby Mather, Imran Pratapgarhi, Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV and National Students' Union of India (NSUI) chief Neeraj Kundan, with some of them even roughed up.
Hitting out at the grand old party over the protests, the BJP said it is blocking roads to show its "leaders are above the law".
"When lawful action is taking place in a case of corruption, Congress is doing this drama and blocking roads... it shows the party considers its leaders above law," BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
Union minister Anurag Thakur also took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi over his questioning by the ED after the Congress leader criticised Prime Minister's decision to provide 10 lakh government jobs in the next 18 months.
"I would only say to Rahul ji, you should first provide the right answers to the ED on the serious charges of corruption made against you," the BJP leader told reporters.
The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in Young Indian Private Limited, promoted by the Congress, that owns National Herald. The newspaper is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian.
Gandhi's mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is currently admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the capital due to Covid-related issues, has also been summoned by the agency for questioning in the case on June 23.
This is the first time that any member of the Congress' first family is being questioned in a criminal case. Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra was questioned by the ED in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam in Rajasthan a few years ago.
(With inputs from agencies)