Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi will depose before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 26 instead of July 25 in connection with the National Herald money laundering case after the ED issued fresh summons. The Congress supremo was earlier probed by the central agency for three hours on July 21 amid massive nationwide protests organised by party workers. The party will also stage similar protests on the day of her next deposition before the ED.
“Earlier, they had called (Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi) on Monday (July 25) for questioning, but now they are saying that they are not in a convenient position on that day. They’re asking for another date,” Congress general secretary K C Venugopal told news agency ANI.
On Thursday, Congress MPs staged a walkout from the Parliament and headed towards the party’s headquarters at the Akbar Road to protest against the misuse of central agencies by the BJP-led central government. Many leaders and workers, including 75 Congress MPs, were detained by the Delhi police. In several places across India, the protests took a violent turn as Congress workers torched a car in Bengaluru and blocked railway tracks in Delhi. The Delhi police used water cannons to disperse angry protesters in many places including Delhi and Chandigarh.
Escorted by her Z+ security cover, Sonia Gandhi on July 21 reached the ED office at around 12 pm after she had left her 10 Janpath residence along with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. The 75-year-old Gandhi was allowed a doctor to accompany her due to her ailing health. However, her request for a lawyer to accompany her was turned down. While Gandhi left the ED office after three hours, the Congress claimed that the ED had nothing left to ask her despite Gandhi willing to answer more questions. However, the ED said that Gandhi had requested for an early leave. Earlier, her questioning was deferred as she was recovering from COVID after getting admitted to the hospital.