New Delhi, Jun 14: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has raised eight important questions to the ruling BJP as Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for the second day for questioning in the National Herald newspaper case.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Chidambaram said, "We are protesting against the Centre's misuse of law. If ED follows the law, we have no problem. But ED is not following the law. We are asking what is the scheduled offence? There's no answer. Which police agency has registered an FIR? There is no answer. Give us a copy of the FIR. There is no answer."
He said that Congress is entitled to protest as the central agency is not following the law in a democratic setup.
"So in the absence of the scheduled offence, in the absence of police agency registering an FIR and giving us a copy of an FIR, where is the question of ED investigation under PMLA? For very simple questions, there are no answers. Obviously, they are not following the law and in a democracy, we are entitled to protest," he said.
The former Union Home Minister questioned whether any BJP leader has been arrested by the ED in the last five years. "Is there any BJP-ruled state like Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, or Karnataka, where the ED has registered a case? If this law applies to the whole of India, why does this apply to Opposition states and Opposition leaders?" he said.
"Everything about the Youth India, Associated Journal tractions are recorded in the Income Tax return in the balance sheet of the company. The Income Tax case is pending before the SC. Both Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others have filed affidavits in the Supreme Court. The SC record is the public, all the facts are stated there. What is the questioning? What is the questioning you want to know? Every transition is recorded in the balance sheet and in an income tax return and if you have doubt read the affidavits filed in the SC. What is the sudden discovery of the PMLA case?" he said.
Gandhi, accompanied by his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi with his "Z+" category CRPF security escort even as police personnel were deployed in huge numbers and section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was imposed around the agency's office just like Monday.
On Monday, the former Congress President spent over 10 hours at the federal agency's office, where he was questioned over multiple sessions and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Officials said as Gandhi's questioning could not be completed on Monday, he was summoned again on Tuesday.