By Online Desk
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the ED for over 11 hours on Tuesday, the second day of his appearance in the National Herald money-laundering case.
Gandhi (51) left the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi around 11.30 pm.
He has been called for questioning again on Wednesday.
He arrived at the agency’s office at 11:05 am on Tuesday, accompanied by his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
His questioning began at 11:30 am after the completion of some legal formalities.
He left the ED office for lunch and rejoined the probe after a break of one hour.
His statement was recorded in multiple sessions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and after Tuesday’s exercise, he has clocked close to 21 hours of questioning by the ED investigators.
Gandhi, an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, spent over 10 hours at the federal agency’s office on Monday, where he was similarly questioned and his statement was recorded.
The grand old party has called the agency action vendetta politics by the Centre against the opposition.
Congress supporters and leaders held protests on roads leading to the ED office.
Agency sources had said on Monday that Gandhi checked the transcript of his statement minutely before submission.
Congress leaders claimed that the investigators took multiple breaks during his questioning.
The investigating officer of the case is learnt to have questioned Gandhi about the incorporation of the Young Indian company, the operations of the National Herald newspaper, the loan given by the Congress to AJL and the funds transfer within the news media establishment.
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 admitted to a hospital here due to Covid-related issues, has also been summoned by the agency for questioning in the case on June 23.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Tuesday detained 217 Congress workers and leaders, including 15 MPs, from the New Delhi district for protesting the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED, in violation of prohibitory orders and despite being denied permission.
They were later released, a police official said.
Hundreds of Congress supporters and leaders, including K C Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, were detained outside the party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road, and around central Delhi as they tried to hold a protest against the ED’s questioning of Rahul Gandhi for the second consecutive day in the National Herald money-laundering probe.
The former Congress chief was questioned for over 10 hours on Monday.
“We detained 217 people including, some senior functionaries of Congress from the New Delhi district and sent them to various police stations. They have been released now.”
“Today also police denied them permission to organize gathering because CrPC section 144 has been invoked,” said Sagar Preet Hooda, the Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order Division).
Of the 217 detained, 15 were Congress MPs, he said.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi 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 Vadra and party MPs were also present.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also attended the protest at the Congress headquarters.
Some Congress leaders and MPs were not allowed to enter the party headquarters and were taken to different police stations.
Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore claimed that he and some other leaders, including P L Punia, were not allowed to enter the party office and were detained at the Mandir Marg police station.
Among the other leaders detained were Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi, Deepender Singh Hooda, Ranjeet Ranjan, Jeby Mather, Imran Pratapgarhi, Youth Congress chief B V Srinivas and NSUI chief Neeraj Kundan.
In a statement, Special Commissioner of Police Sagar Preet Hooda said, “Delhi Police personnel facilitated Rahul Gandhi to proceed to the office of Enforcement Directorate and requested others to stop at the barricades.”
“They (Congress supporters and leaders) were detained for violation of prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144. A total of 217 functionaries and workers of the Congress party were detained in the New Delhi district.”
“They include eight Lok Sabha members and seven Rajya Sabha MPs and all of them have been released. Some detention have also been made in other parts of Delhi and suitable legal action is being taken,” the police officer said.
(With PTI Inputs)
