National Herald Case HIGHLIGHTS: Sonia Gandhi grilled for over six hours on Day 2, summoned again by the ED on Wednesday

Sonia Gandhi leaves ED office after six hours of questioning at around 7 pm.

The detained Congress leaders huddled together to discuss several issues ranging from Agnipath to the falling rupee.

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi arrived at the ED office at 3:30 pm after lunch break.

Congress MP and Rajya Sabha's leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was detained by the Delhi police for protesting against Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition.

Earlier visuals of Rahul Gandhi sitting on dharna at Delhi's Vijay Chowk right before his arrest.

“We sought permission for a day's protest but the police denied it. We wanted to do a peaceful satyagraha at Gandhiji's samadhi at Rajghat. BJP leaders used to dance at his samadhi, but we wanted to hold a protest. Centre's doing politics to pressurise us,” Congress' Ajay Maken told news agency ANI.

Rahul Gandhi sat on a dharna alone before he was eventually detained by the Delhi police.

A clash broke out between the Congress workers and the police broke out in front of the Congress headquarters.

Several Congress leaders and MPs including Deepender Singh Hooda, Ranjeet Ranjan, KC Venugopal, Manickam Tagore, Imran Pratapgarhi and K Suresh were detained.

“They're trying to harass Opposition leaders, we'll fight it. We're with Sonia Gandhi & Rahul Gandhi. You can't harass us anymore,” Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar told news agency ANI.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi left the ED office after dropping Sonia and Priyanka.

Sonia Gandhi has entered the ED office for second round of questioning. She was accompanied by Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi.

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken hit out at the BJP-led central government for not allowing the party to organise a Satyagraha near Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi. “This is the death of democracy,” said Maken, while addressing a press conference ahead of Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition.

The National Herald case relates to a equity transaction in which Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi are accused of allegedly misappropriating assets of Associated Journals worth over Rs 2,000 crore by paying a paltry sum of just Rs 50 lakh. The Gandhis, however, have denied any wrongdoing, but courts have found merit in the allegations against them. Besides the Gandhis, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda are among the accused in the case. The case against the Gandhis and others is being pursued by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy.

The National Herald case involves three key players — Associated Journals Ltd, Young India Ltd, and Congress.

“The whole nation is watching the drama Congress is doing in the name of Satyagraha. The Opposition is left without any agenda to protest on. Shouldn't there be an investigation after the Court has pulled the Gandhis up for the National Herald scam? Only because of their sense of entitlement and since the Congress doesn't want an investigation, shouldn't the ED probe the Gandhis?, asked BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, while addressing a press conference.

The Delhi Traffic police has issued an alert from 10 am to 2 pm in several places including Akbar Road, Janpath Road and Tughlaq road.

There was heavy security deployed outside Congress office in Delhi ahead of Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition today.

“Our freedom movement was fought on the principles of non-violence and satyagraha, the teachings of Gandhiji. These ideals transcended boundaries and became the light of hope for many oppressed. The Modi government imposes 144 to suppress our Satyagraha at every spot,” Congress MP KC Venugopal wrote on Twitter, while adding, “Now they have imposed 144 even around Raj Ghat, the Samadhi of Gandhi ji, to stop peaceful Satyagraha by Congress MPs and CWC members against the misusing of agencies for political vendetta. This is beyond condemnation and they can’t silence our voice with brute force.”