The enforcement directorate (ED) has asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear on Friday to rejoin the National Herald case probe, said an ED source. For the third consecutive day, Rahul was questioned for over nine hours by the probing agency on Wednesday. Several Congress leaders, including Sachin Pilot, were detained on Wednesday, with the party alleging that Delhi Police personnel entered the Congress headquarters on Akbar Road and beat up workers. Rahul Gandhi arrived at the ED headquarters in central Delhi around 11.35 am accompanied by his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Rahul Gandhi left the ED office at 11:30 pm on Tuesday night after being questioned for over 11 hours and went to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to meet his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi. According to ED sources quoted by ANI, the Wayanad MP has been confronted with several documents collated by the ED as evidence recovered so far in the case.
Rahul Gandhi Questioning Day 3: Here Are The Latest Updates
- Rahul Gandhi has been questioned for around 21 hours at the ED's office over the last two days and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
- Congress has alleged that Delhi Police personnel entered the Congress headquarters on Akbar Road in Delhi and beat up party workers. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said the party would gherao all Raj Bhawans across India to protest the police action.
- Surjewala demanded an FIR against the police personnel who allegedly entered the AICC office. "In an act of absolute goondaism perpetuated by Delhi police on the directions of the government, they entered Congress office and beat up workers. This is criminal trespass. Their goondaism has reached its zenith," ANI quoted Randeep Surjewala as saying.
- Several Congress workers who were protesting outside the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office and the party headquarters on Akbar Road in Delhi were detained on Wednesday. Among those detained were IYC chief BV Srinivas and Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary.
- Videos showed several Youth Congress and Mahila Congress workers being forcibly taken away by police. Top party leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, Bhupesh Baghel and Pawan Khera, also took part in the protests. "Police are indulging in goondaism on the directions of the govt. We have never seen such barbarism in the history of India," ANI quoted Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as saying.
- Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also alleged that police entered the AICC office and beat up Congress workers. "Our workers are being beaten up mercilessly," PTI quoted Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as saying.
- Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram shared a video on Twitter where police can be seen barging into the party office and carrying away a man, presumably a party worker. "Delhi Police behaving like the private militia of the BJP by entering the HQ of the Congress," he tweeted along with the video clip.
- Delhi Police has put up barricades around the AICC office and workers were prevented from entering the party office on Wednesday. Congress leaders claimed this was the first time that party workers were not allowed to enter the AICC office.
- Delhi Police said Congress did not have permission for gathering on Wednesday. SP Hooda, Special CP (L&O), said that Congress workers threw barricades at police near AICC office and there might have been a scrimmage. "But police didn't go inside the AICC office and use lathi charge. Police are not using any force," he said.
- Congress MPs Manickam Tagore, Thirunavakkarasuar, A Chella Kumar, Amar Singh and Jayakumar Vijay Vasanth protested in the Parliament complex and raised slogans against the government.
- The investigation pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper. The newspaper is published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Private Limited (YIL).
(With inputs from agencies)