Scores of protesting Congressmen detained in Jammu
STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday appeared before the ED here for questioning in the National Herald money laundering investigation.
Gandhi, 51, entered the headquarters of the federal probe agency in central Delhi around 11 AM after he started from the Congress office on Akbar Road accompanied by a large convoy of party leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel.
He was asked to appear before it again on Tuesday, officials said.
The Enforcement Directorate will record the statement of the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad in Kerala under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper.
National Herald is published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.
As part of its nation-wide protests, a number of Congress leaders and workers including Pradesh President G A Mir were detained after they staged a sit-in and tried to take out a march here to protest alleged misuse of government agencies against opposition leaders by the BJP-led central government.
The protest was part of the nationwide agitation by the Congress against questioning of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald money laundering investigation.
Hundreds of Congress workers led by Mir
assembled outside party headquarters at Shaheedi Chowk in the heart of the city and staged a sit-in before starting a march which was, however, foiled by the police by barricading the main Residency Road, officials said.
They said when the protesters tried to break the police cordon, police swung into action and detained the protesters who were taken to police lines Gandhi Nagar in two buses.
Prominent among those taken into preventive custody include working Congress president Raman Bhalla, vice president Mula Ram, chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, former ministers Shabir Khan and Yogesh Sawhney, president Mahila Congress Indu Pawar and youth Congress president Udey Chib.
The entire Congress leadership is on the roads across the country and our aim is to march towards ED offices to lodge a protest against the BJP-led government which is misusing central agencies, Mir told reporters before being detained by police.
Amid anti-BJP and pro-Congress sloganeering by the protesters, Mir alleged that BJP is using the agencies like ED, National Investigation Agency and Central Bureau of Investigation to browbeat the opposition.
Anyone speaking against the wrong policies of this government becomes the target of the central agencies. We are protesting against this situation and the undemocratic actions, the Congress leader said.
He said Rahul Gandhi is bravely speaking against the wrong policies of the government and is being targeted deliberately by using the enforcement directorate.
Congress Chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said the party rank and file would not be cowed down by such measures.
We stand with our leader Rahul Gandhi and are ready to give any sacrifice, Sharma said.
Meanwhile, Ladakh Territorial Congress Committee led by its President & former Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora also staged a protest in Leh calling ED’s summon to Rahul Gandhi as a political vendetta.
The protest was attended by Mahila President Ladakh Territorial Congress Committee Stanzin Dolker, DCC Leh President Rigzin Namgail, leader of Opposition in LAHDC Leh Tsering Namgyal , MC Leh President Dr. Ishey Namgyal, former MLA Deldan Namgyal, Congress Councillors and other party leaders.