Union minister Smriti Irani on Monday criticised the Congress party’s ‘Satyagraha’ march to show support for Rahul Gandhi, who is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case. During a press conference, Smriti Irani characterized the march as a “blatant attempt” by the Gandhi family to intimidate investigative agencies. Never before has a political family attempted to hold a government investigation agency hostage, she added.
Press conference by Union Minister Smt. @smritiirani at party headquarters in New Delhi. https://t.co/tAWpWUJRvT
— BJP (@BJP4India) June 13, 2022
Smriti Irani stated that Congress is not protesting to safeguard democracy but to save Rahul Gandhi’s 2,000 crore properties. She said, “Congress leaders have taken to the streets to pressurize an investigating agency openly because their corruption has been exposed… It’s an attempt to protect the assets of the Gandhi family.”
While detailing the ED’s case to the media, the Minister stated that in 1930, a firm called Associated Journals Limited (AJL) was created with the intention of printing a newspaper. Its stockholders included 5,000 freedom fighters. “Today, a company that was to be run by freedom fighters has been usurped by the Gandhi family,” Smriti Irani remarked.
“In 2008, this company incurred debts of 90 crores and decided to enter the real estate market. Another business, Young India, was established in 2010 with an initial capital of five lakh, and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi was appointed as its Director. Mr Gandhi owned 75% of the firm, with the remainder owned by his mother Sonia Gandhi and Congress leaders such as Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes,” Smriti Irani went on to elaborate about the scam.
“Young India received nine crore shares of AJL, representing 99 per cent of the entire shares of AJL. The Congress Party then lent AJL 90 crore, which was never repaid,” she further said, adding that people who donated funds to Congress for welfare works ended up funding the Gandhi family.
This firm, as Irani stated, was not founded to conduct social work. It obtained a licence under Section 25 of the Companies Act at the time of its formation, allowing it to undertake purely charitable activities. However, Young India admitted in 2016 that it has done no charitable activity in its six years of existence.
She alleged that Rahul Gandhi has business dealings with Dotex Merchandise Private Limited. Dotex Merchandise Private Limited is connected to a Havala entry operator in Kolkata who exchanges cheques for cash. According to the union minister, the Financial Intelligence Unit has flagged this company’s financial operations.
“Is it true that this company has relations with companies that are owned by Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra?” Smriti Irani advised Congress workers to ask this question from the Gandhi family.
She also quoted a phrase from a 2019 Delhi High Court verdict, “The entire transaction of transferring of shares of AJL to Young India was nothing but a clandestine and surreptitious transfer of the lucrative interest into the premises of Young India.”
Congress leaders creating a ruckus at the ED office
Earlier in the day, before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi went for interrogation at the Enforcement Directorate office in Delhi in connection with the National Herald money laundering case, Congress leaders and workers caused a ruckus and opposed the authorities outside the ED office.
Several other 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 detained Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, senior leader Harish Rawat, and Congress leaders Rajni Patil, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, L. Hanumanthaiah, and Thirunavukkarasar Su.
