FROM OUR BUREUO
NEW DELHi:The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday for the second round of questioning in an alleged money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper.
She was questioned on Thursday for about two hours by the same assistant director-level investigation officer who had interrogated her son Rahul Gandhi in the case. She was accompanied by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi and later joined by Rahul.
The ED officials claimed the interrogation session for the day ended on Sonia Gandhi’s request as she was still recovering from Covid-19. Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh, immediately after release from the Kingsway Camp police station with other party leaders, said this was a total lie and baseless, circulated by PTI quoting the ED sources.
At 12.20 when the interrogation began, she was told that she willl get a lunch break and she has to return for further questioning. However, at 2.20 pm the ED officials told her that she can go for the lunch break and she may now come on Monday.
He said when Sonia said she was prepared to return and face interrogation until night and she wanted it to continue on Friday as she wants the process completed as early as possible. He condemned ED for the lie that her interrogation was stopped on her request.
She was told by the ED officials that their doctor was available in the morning but he was not available for checking her health condition as always done while interrogating any person. They also excused for Friday since their officials are busy that day in some court cases.
In reply to a question, Jairam said the protests against the Congress president’s interrogation launched on Thursday, will continue on Friday at all district headquarters in the country.
As regards the Parliament blockade since start of the monsoon session on Monday, he said the Congress is prepared for discussion on price rise and GDP hike on Friday if the government agrees by 11.15 or 11.30 AM for the discussion as his party wants Parliament to run unlike the Government avoiding questioning on the issues that it can not answer.
The senior party leaders, including Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Pawan Khera, were detained for the protests in the national capital. Similar protests were held in many state headquarters, the party sources said. Their protests and the Kanwar Yatra hit the traffic in and around central Delhi on Thursday.
