Rahul Gandhi slams Modi govt, says truth will prevail over `arrogance and dictatorship`

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (July 21) attacked the government over its "misuse of agencies" in Parliament and asserted that "truth will prevail over dictatorship". His attack came on a day Congress president Sonia Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here for questioning in the National Herald money laundering case. 

Rahul Gandhi took to social media to express his anger and tweet in Hindi, "Discuss GST -- House adjourned. Discuss inflation -- House adjourned. Discuss Agneepath -- House adjourned. Discuss misuse of agencies -- House adjourned." "Today publicly, the voice of the people of the country is being suppressed. 'Truth' will prevail over this arrogance and dictatorship," he added. 

The Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha have failed to transact any significant business so far since the Monsoon Session began on July 18 with the Opposition seeking a debate on issues such as price rise and GST on certain items of daily use. 

The Opposition has alleged that the functioning of Parliament is being affected because of the government's obstinacy to not allow its demand for a discussion on issues such as a hike in GST on certain daily use items and price rise.

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned briefly on Thursday as Opposition parties voiced their protest against rising prices and the Enforcement Directorate summonsed to Sonia Gandhi for questioning in a money laundering case. Rajya Sabha proceedings were also adjourned twice during the pre-lunch period after opposition members created uproar over issues of price rise and Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike on daily essentials.

ED questioning of Sonia Gandhi in National Herald case

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that it is wrong to summon two members of the same family over and over again that too in connection with the same case.  Putting the Enforcement Directorate in the dock, Azad said, "As for the arrest of people, it is not like they disrupted the law-and-order situation. Besides, we have the right to agitate." The veteran Congress leader was furious at the way senior leaders of his party were detained. 

The Congress slammed the Modi government for "misusing" probe agencies against opposition leaders and staged protests against the Enforcement Directorate's questioning of Sonia Gandhi, alleging the ruling BJP is treating the opposition as its enemies. Sonia Gandhi appeared before the ED here for questioning in the National Herald money laundering case.

Senior Congress leaders, including some MPs, courted arrest outside the party headquarters here to protest the ED action. Leaders of various political parties also condemned the ED action against Sonia Gandhi and in a meeting alleged that the government was unleashing a relentless campaign against its political opponents through "mischievous" misuse of probe agencies. 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the probe agency should first hold a press conference to spell out under what charges Sonia Gandhi is being probed, adding "I condemn the ED action of calling Sonia Gandhi for questioning." Gehlot told reporters at a press conference, "The ED should have gone to her residence to take her responses to their questions," he said, citing past precedents, adding that this is being done to "harass" her.

Referring to the questioning of Rahul Gandhi earlier in the case, Gehlot said never has anyone questioned a leader for five days in a row and long hours of questioning. "Their aim is to demoralise and create problems," he alleged, adding "They are treating opposition leaders as if they are their enemies," Gehlot said this action comes after the Udaipur declaration of the Congress party, which received a very encouraging response from the public.

"All Congress MPs and CWC members have courted mass arrest outside our party headquarters in a show of collective solidarity with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, a target of 'Vishguru's' political vendetta. We are being taken away to a police station in Old Delhi evidently," said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh.

Another Congress leader P Chidambaram said the ED is not higher than the Supreme Court. He asked, "What is that the ED wants to 'investigate' that will not be examined by the SC," alleging "The ED is overreaching the SC and trying to intimidate the Congress party. The Congress party will not bow down to the intimidation." 

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had claimed that the media was also being prevented from entering the party headquarters, adding that the ED action comes to prevent Congress from raising issues of the public like price rise and unemployment, which they will continue.

(With PTI Inputs)