Sonia Gandhi Summoned On July 21 By ED In National Herald Money Laundering Case

National Herald Case: Last month, Sonia Gandhi had written to the ED about her illness and requested them to defer the questioning.

Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to appear before it for questioning in the National Herald money laundering case on July 21, ANI reported. Last month, Sonia Gandhi, who was hospitalised for over a week due to Covid-19, had written to the ED about her illness and requested them to defer the questioning. The ED had accepted her request.

Sonia Gandhi, 75, was discharged from Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on June 20. She had tested postive for Covid-19 on June 2.

The Congress leader had initially been summoned by the agency for questioning on June 8 in the money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper. However, she had sought more time from the probe agency in view of her Covid-19 infection. ED then issued a fresh summons and asked her to join on June 23.

"Sonia Gandhi had sought postponing of the summons by four weeks and hence, she has been asked to depose before the agency on July 21," PTI quoted ED officials as saying.

READ | National Herald Case: 'Unwell' Sonia Gandhi Writes To ED, Seeks Postponement Of Questioning

A report in IANS said Sonia Gandhi would be asked the same set of questions that were put to Rahul Gandhi during his five-day questioning. "We have to ask about her role in the deal between Young India and Associated Journal Ltd (AJL)," IANS quoted ED sources as saying.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has already been questioned by the probe agency for over five days, spanning more than 50 hours. Gandhi was reportedly asked by ED officials on the ownership of Young Indian Limited (YIL) and its shareholding pattern in Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that ran the National Herald newspaper.

The Congress has accused the Centre of targeting opposition leaders by misusing investigative agencies and has termed the entire action "political vendetta".