National Herald Case HIGHLIGHTS: Sonia Gandhi grilled by ED for 3 hours, summoned again on July 25

Today, Sonia Gandhi had gone to ED office & was interrogated for 2-3 hrs, after which ED officials allowed her to leave as they didn't have anything else to ask. On this, Congress president replied that they can ask her as many questions as they want:Congress leader Jairam Ramesh

Angry Youth Congress workers burnt a scrap car as they stormed the streets of Bengaluru. This is just the beginning, don't know what will happen when Sonia Gandhi is called again, Karnataka Youth Congress Chief Mohammed Haris Nalapad told India Today.

Congress workers stop a train and block railway tracks at Shivaji Bridge railway station in Delhi.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the government over its alleged lack of willingness to discuss issues such as inflation and “misuse of agencies” in Parliament and asserted that “truth will prevail over dictatorship”.

“Discuss GST — House adjourned. Discuss inflation — House adjourned. Discuss Agneepath — House adjourned. Discuss misuse of agencies — House adjourned,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. (PTI)

Water cannons are being used to disperse Congress workers, who are protesting against Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition, in the national capital.

The BJP on Thursday criticised the Congress' protests ahead of the Enforcement Directorate's questioning of its president Sonia Gandhi as its “duragrah” (obstinate demand) for protecting the Gandhi family.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad noted that Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, have been accused of grabbing valuable assets of the Associate Journal Ltd, which publishes the National Herald newspaper. Their plea to quash the FIR has been dismissed by every court, including the Supreme Court, the former Union minister told reporters.

“The Congress has become a pocket organisation of a family, and now its assets are also being pocketed by the family,” he alleged, attacking the Gandhis. Both are out on bail in the case, he told reporters.

Gandhis floated Young Indian, in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul have 76 per cent shares, to grab assets of the National Herald, he charged.

The Congress has dubbed the probe as the ruling BJP's political vendetta.

It has described its agitation against the ED's probe against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul in the National Herald case as “satyagrah”, a form of protest associated with Mahatma Gandhi. She is set to appear before the agency later on Thursday for questioning.

This is not “satyagrah” but “duragrah” against the country, its laws and its agencies, Prasad said. This is also a “duragrah” for protecting the family which has “pocketed” the party's assets worth thousands of crores of rupees, he alleged.

While Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of misusing institutions, he does not want to answer the questions raised by probe agencies, the former law minister said.

He said the Congress had harassed then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots cases but Modi appeared before the agency probing the matter and the BJP did not carry out any protest like the Congress has been. Modi, now prime minister, came out clean, he said.

“The BJP respects institutions but look at the Congress. Its chief ministers and MPs, who are not attending Parliament, are sitting in Delhi. They are trying to demoralise the ED,” he said. (PTI)

A clash broke out between the police and the Congress workers.

Several senior Congress leaders including Shashi Tharoor has been detained by the Delhi police.

Congress' Sachin Pilot was detained while protesting against Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition.

As a part of the national protests, the Congress has hit the streets in Bihar's Patna.

“Everybody is equal before the law or not? Is the Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) a super human being? They (Congress) think they are above the law…,” says Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Pralhad Joshi after Lok Sabha House was adjourned amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs. (ANI)

“Modi govt has unleashed a relentless vendetta against political opponents through misuse of investigative agencies by targeting prominent leaders of various parties. We will intensify our fight against the anti-people Modi Sarkar,” said the Opposition in a joint statement.

Opposition presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha has hit out at the Modi govt over Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition.

Addressing a press conference, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that there is an environment of fear in the country.

Congress workers protest ahead of Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition, while raising slogans against ED and the PM Modi government.

Congress workers raise slogans supporting Sonia Gandhi at Delhi's party office ahead of her ED deposition.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached her mother's residence ahead of Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition.

Due to special arrangements, there'll be heavy traffic movement till 2 pm on Gol Methi junction, Tughlak Road Junction, Claridges Junction, Q-point Junction, Sunehri Masjid Junction, Maulana Azad Road Junction & Man Singh Road Junction. Avoid these areas: Delhi Traffic Police

Congress MP KC Venugopal gives suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha on the issue of “misuse of central agencies in the country including ED, CBI and Income-Tax department to target and harass prominent leaders of a number of political parties by the ruling party.” (ANI)

Congress MP Manickam Tagore demanded a discussion on the misuse of central agencies in the parliament, asking if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend.

Congress MPs Manickam Tagore and Gaurav Gogoi have given adjournment motion notices to discuss the issue of “misuse of law enforcement and investigative agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Central Government.”

Senior Congress leaders and party MPs gather at AICC office ahead of Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition.

Last night the party’s official Twitter handle stated, “How can the ED scare Sonia Gandhi, whose ancestors changed the geography of the world.”

Sharing a picture of party members gathering at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence a day ahead of Sonia Gandhi's ED deposition, Gehlot said that all leaders expressed their anger at how the Opposition voices in the country were being crushed.

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 and have maintained that they have not derived any commercial benefit out of the transaction, 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 was filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy before a trial court back in 2013.

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