The Enforcement Directorate on Monday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to depose before it on July 21 in connection with a money laundering case related to the National Herald case. The Congress chief had skipped earlier summons on June 8 after she reportedly tested positive for Covid on June 2, six days before she was supposed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate.
ED summons Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi to join investigation in the National Herald Case on July 21: Official sources
— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2022
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Sonia Gandhi was released from the hospital in the middle of June after recovering from Covid. Sonia Gandhi was issued the second summons on June 23 by the agency, but the Congress supremo had again refused to depose before the agency on the grounds that the doctors had “strictly advised her to rest at home following her hospitalisation on account of Covid and lung infection”.
Congress leaders created ruckus at the ED office during Rahul Gandhi’s summons
It may be recalled that when her son, Rahul Gandhi, was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in the National Herald case, the Congress party had turned the entire event into a major political drama.
On June 13, before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared for questioning at the Enforcement Directorate office, the Congress leaders created a ruckus and protested across the country at 25 party offices.
Calling it a ‘Satyagrah’, Congress workers in large numbers took out agitations against the notice served to Rahul Gandhi, as he reached the ED office.
Several Congress leaders were held by police for attempting to cause unrest before Rahul Gandhi’s attendance in the ED office. Along with other workers, police had detained Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, senior leader Harish Rawat, and Congress leaders Rajni Patil, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, L. Hanumanthaiah, and Thirunavukkarasar Su.
National Herald Case involving Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi
The National Herald case is one of the most notable legal cases in Indian history, as the Gandhis are directly accused. The Mother-Son duo of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, along with their aides – Oscar Fernandez, Motilal Vohra and Sam Pitroda, are alleged to have been involved in ‘massive cheating and breach of trust’ in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YIL). Assets worth crores of rupees had been allegedly transferred for purposes other than originally intended for a paltry sum. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi got unconditional bail in the case in December 2015.
