Sonia Gandhi appears before ED; Opposition flays Modi 'sarkar' for unleashing 'relentless vendetta'

The Enforcement Directorate has asked Congress President Sonia Gandhi to depose before it for questioning in the National Herald newspaper-linked money-laundering case.

File photo

New Delhi: Ahead of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald money laundering case, various opposition parties on Thursday (July 21, 2022) issued a joint statement and accused the Narendra Modi-led government of "unleashing a relentless campaign" against its political opponents through "mischievous" misuse of probe agencies. Leaders of 13 political parties, including Congress, DMK, CPI-M, CPI, IUML, NC, TRS, MDMK, NCP, VCK, Shiv Sena, RJD and RSP, met at the Parliament House in the capital and condemned the action.

"The Modi 'sarkar' has unleashed a relentless campaign of vendetta against its political opponents and critics through the mischievous misuse of investigative agencies. Prominent leaders of a number of political parties have been deliberately targeted and subjected to harassment in an unprecedented manner," they charged in a joint statement.

"We condemn this and resolve to continue and intensify our collective fight against the anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-Constitution policies of the Modi 'sarkar' that is destroying the social fabric of our society," the statement read.

Joint statement of like-minded opposition parties against the BJP government’s politics of vendetta. pic.twitter.com/Vv4xbw2bpO — Congress (@INCIndia) July 21, 2022

The ED has asked Sonia Gandhi to depose before it on July 21 for questioning in the National Herald newspaper-linked money-laundering case. Gandhi, 75, was first issued the notice for an appearance on June 8, but after she tested positive for Covid-19, the summons for June 23 was issued. She could not keep the second date as well because she was "strictly advised to rest at home following her hospitalization on account of Covid-19 and a lung infection".

The probe relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.

Meanwhile, Sonia has arrived at the federal probe agency's headquarters located at Vidyut Lane flanking A P J Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi a little after noon escorted by her Z+ category CRPF security cover. Her statement will be recorded by the agency under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and it will also be taped in an audio-video mode.

The agency, according to sources, will give her an option to either write down or dictate her answers to an ED staffer over the computer, who will be present along with the investigating officer of the case.

As Sonia Gandhi appears before ED, Congress stages protests

The Congress is currently holding protests across the country against the questioning of its chief Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate. Similar protests were held when her son and former party president Rahul Gandhi was quizzed by the agency in June in the case.

Our nation's institutional agencies cannot be pawns in BJP's vendetta politics. The misuse of ED to attack opposition needs to stop. #सत्य_साहस_सोनिया_गांधी pic.twitter.com/UNVfgdN3Kx — Congress (@INCIndia) July 21, 2022

A meeting of senior party leaders was also held at the residence of Mallikarjun Kharge to chalk out the party's strategy for dealing with the "misuse" of the ED against Sonia Gandhi by the Modi government.

Congress leaders and workers will also be staging such protests outside offices of the Enforcement Directorate in different state capitals, the grand old party had said on Wednesday.