The Enforcement Directorate questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for nearly 10 hours for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in the National Herald money laundering case, even as a political battle raged outside with the party continuing with its protests and accusing the BJP of indulging in vendetta politics.
The agency asked the Congress to appear before it on Wednesday as well for further questioning. The ED refused to entertain his request to complete the questioning on Tuesday.
After a session of about four hours, Gandhi took a break for about an hour at around 3:30 pm, and went home. He rejoined the questioning around 4:30 pm.
He arrived at the ED headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi with his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The questioning on the second day began at 11:30am.
The Congress leader was questioned for 10 hours on Monday as well.
Earlier in the day, he joined senior party leaders at a dharna at the Congress headquarters, where the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, Priyanka Gandhi and party MPs were also present.
Hundreds of Congress leaders and supporters 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, attracting fierce criticism from the BJP.
"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 too took a dig at the Congress leader after the Congress leader criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi'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 said.
Congress leader K.C. Venugopal claimed that the action against Gandhi is nothing but "political vendetta" by the Modi government, which is trying to defame the Congress leadership through "false cases".
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 hospitalised 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.
The Congress has accused the Centre of targeting opposition leaders by misusing investigative agencies.
The ED had questioned senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal in April as part of its probe. Kharge has claimed that he gave "evidence" to the agency during the recording of his statement.
The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of the ED's investigation to understand the share-holding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials had said.
The ED recently registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe against Young Indian on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.
—With PTI inputs
