New Delhi: Congress has decided to take out a protest march to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters when former party chief Rahul Gandhi appears before the agency for questioning in connection with a money laundering case on Monday, news agency PTI reported. The party has decided to rope in all its top leaders and MPs to stage a “satyagrah” against what they called “misuse” by central government.
According to party sources, Congress leaders will also take out protest marches to the ED offices in their respective states.
The decision was taken at a virtual meeting of the Congress state unit presidents, general secretaries and in-charges of various states, convened by general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal.
"Congress leaders will sit in 'satyagrah' in front of all ED offices across India against the misuse of ED by PM Modi," PTI quoted a senior party leader a saying.
He further said that in Delhi, all the Congress MPs and Congress Working Committee members will march to the ED office against its "misuse" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "I will join and march towards ED office in Delhi. No FIR. Bogus case to malign an honest leader. 9 AM 13th June. Join in Delhi or join Congress satyagrah in front of ED office in your state."
Notably, the grand old party is preparing for a major show of strength in the national capital on Monday when Gandhi is scheduled to appear before the ED in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to the National Herald-AJL deal.
The Congress termed the charges "fake and baseless" and added the summonses to Rahul Gandhi and party chief Sonia Gandhi was part of the BJP's "vendetta politics".
It is to be noted that the case pertains to an investigation into the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper. The paper is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.
As per reports, the ED wanted to record the statements of the Gandhis under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).