ED summons Cong chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday summoned Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the money laundering case linked to the running of the National Herald newspaper, which is owned and run by the Congress party.
The I-T probe against the Congress leaders arose from the investigation into a private criminal complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy before a trial court in Delhi in 2013. The complaint had alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds on part of Gandhis in the acquisition of the newspaper. Swami had alleged that the Gandhis acquired properties owned by National Herald by buying over the newspaper's erstwhile publishers through Young Indian in which they have an 86 per cent stake.
In the complaint before the trial court, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others have been accused of misappropriating funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian had obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to the Congress.
It was alleged that YI, which was incorporated in November 2010 with a capital of Rs 50 lakh, had acquired almost all the shareholding of AJL, which was running the National Herald.
Reacting to this news, party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Modi government is trying to suppress the newspaper, which was started by the Congress in 1942.
"At that time, the National Herald newspaper was suppressed by the British government and now, the Modi government is doing the same and the ED is being used for this by sending notices to our president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi," Surjewala said.
However, he made it clear that the Congress is not afraid of any such intimidation strategy by the ED in the said case and will not be cowed down by any such "vendetta" by the BJP government.
While addressing a press conference, Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Randeep Surjewala said party president Sonia Gandhi has been summoned by the ED for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper on June 8, and she was determined to appear before the agency as she has nothing to hide.
They said that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has also been summoned, and that he has written to the probe agency to postpone the date as he is not in the country.
"The Modi government should know that by registering such fake and fabricated cases, they cannot succeed in their cowardly conspiracy," Singhvi said, adding that neither will the ED be able to stop the National Herald, the voice of the freedom movement nor will it be able to scare Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
"The Congress leadership is fearless and ready to present itself before the probe agency. We will not be afraid of such tactics, we will not bow down, but we will fight hard legally, socially and politically," Singhvi added.
Surjewala said that under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, the entire party and its workers would stand shoulder to shoulder with them, and "we will fight and win this attack on the country's democracy".
The two Congress leaders also added that the main mantra of the newspaper which became the "voice of the freedom movement" was: "Freedom is in danger, protect it with all your might."
"Today again, the ideology supporting the British rule is conspiring to suppress the 'voice of the freedom movement'. PM Modi is at the head of this conspiracy, and his 'favourite and pet weapon' to implement it is the ED," Surjewala claimed.
