NEW DELHI: The enforcement directorate (ED) on Wednesday summoned
Congress president
Sonia Gandhi and party leader
Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald
money laundering case.
The case was registered recently to probe alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, "Started the National Herald newspaper in 1942 ... At that time, the British tried to suppress it, today Modi government is also doing the same and ED is being used for this. ED has given notice to our president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi".
While Sonia Gandhi has been asked to depose before the federal agency on June 8, Rahul Gandhi is understood to have been asked to appear earlier.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference that the party president will comply with the summons. "Rahul Gandhi will go if he is here or he may seek a fresh date," Singhvi added.
According to officials, the agency wants to record the statements of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (
PMLA).
The grand old party, in a tweet, said that it will fight and win but won't be intimidated.
In 2012, Subramanian Swamy had filed a case accusing Sonia, Rahul and the others - Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda - of cheating and misappropriation of funds in acquiring the ownership of now-defunct daily, National Herald.
The National Herald newspaper, founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, was closely associated with India's freedom struggle and the Indian National Congress until 2008. On April 1, 2008, the paper's editorial announced that it was temporarily suspending its operations.
Before its closure, the paper was run by Associated Journals Limited (AJL). In 2009, Sonia ordered the closure of the defunct paper.
The agency recently questioned senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal as part of the investigation.
- With agency inputs