The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for questioning in a money-laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper, prompting the Congress to allege a “cowardly conspiracy” by a government accused of hounding political opponents with investigative agencies.
Sonia, 75, has been asked to depose at the agency headquarters in Delhi on June 8, and Rahul on June 2. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told a news conference that Sonia would comply with the summons.
Rahul, 51, has written to the ED asking the deposition be postponed till after June 5 as he is not in the country, Singhvi and Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “The Vishwaguru of Vendetta has hit a new low with the issue of ED notice to Smt Sonia Gandhi & Shri Rahul Gandhi today. It is a completely bogus money laundering case foisted on them with neither money flow nor any laundering. Truth will triumph. We will not be silenced!”
The National Herald is a newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937 that is published by the Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Ltd, a company promoted by the Congress.
The ED registered the case under criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on a complaint from BJP leader Subramanian Swamy a decade ago.
Swamy has accused Sonia, Rahul and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds, alleging Young Indian paid only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed the Congress. The Gandhis are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.
In April this year, the ED had questioned Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal in connection with the money-laundering probe. Kharge and Bansal are former office-bearers of Young Indian and AJL, the agency had said.
Delhi High Court had in February last year issued a notice to the Gandhis for their response to Swamy’s plea. The Gandhis told the high court that Swamy’s plea was “misconceived and premature”.
The other accused in the case filed by Swamy are Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda. They have denied any wrongdoing.
“A disgusting and cowardly conspiracy is being hatched against the leadership of the Indian National Congress to mislead the country,” the Congress said.
“The entire party and every worker will stand shoulder to shoulder with them and we will fight and win this attack on the country’s democracy.”
An ED spokesperson declined comment to PTI. It was not immediately clear why the agency was acting now.
Union minister Anurag Thakur, responding to a question on the Congress’s allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using agencies to target political opponents, said: “Government agencies do their job.”
Addressing a cabinet briefing, the minister said the issue had nothing to do with cabinet decisions.
The ED has been probing several cases against Opposition politicians.
Among these are the AgustaWestland chopper deal struck during the UPA government’s tenure and the INX Media and Aircel-Maxis cases in which senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram and his son Karti are accused.
Congress politicians whom the CBI and the ED have raided or arrested in corruption cases over the past two-and-a-half years include Chidambaram and Karnataka Congress president D.K. Shivakumar. Shivakumar had played a key role in the Congress winning a prestige Rajya Sabha battle from Gujarat.
In 2017, CBI and ED raids on Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad’s family in an assets case led to the collapse of the then ruling alliance in Bihar.
The ED is also probing Rajasthan’s Congress chief minister, Ashok Gehlot, over alleged irregularities in an ambulance deal, and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for alleged corruption in sand mining. It’s investigating Mayawati in connection with the construction of statues and memorials.
Last month, the CBI registered a fresh case and raided several premises belonging to Lalu Prasad in connection with alleged irregularities that took place during the ailing septuagenarian’s tenure as railway minister more than a decade ago.