National Herald money laundering case: Rahul Gandhi appears before ED as Congress mounts protests

As the Congress party leaders were detained by Delhi Police for mounting protests in Delhi despite the imposition of Section 144, Party chief Rahul Gandhi has reached the headquarters of the Enforcement Directorate on Monday morning for questioning in the National Herald money laundering case.

There was chaos in the streets of Delhi as Gandhi, accompanied by sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, headed towards it amid party workers' slogans against the central government.

Gandhi entered the headquarters of the federal probe agency in central Delhi around 11 AM after he started from the Congress office on Akbar Road accompanied by a large convoy of party leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel.

On approaching the office, Gandhi Vadra turned back with the Congress leaders and Rahul Gandhi proceeded for the questioning.

The Enforcement Directorate will record the statement of the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad in Kerala under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper.

National Herald is published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.

The Congress has been accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of using Enforcement Directorate and other central agencies to silence the voice of the Opposition.

The party has said the allegations against its leaders are "fake and baseless" and that accused the BJP of "vendetta politics".

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police detained several Congress workers in the city for protesting in support of party leader Rahul Gandhi.

Visuals from Akbar Road showed protesters being pushed into police cars and buses as they were sloganeering and holding posters saying ‘Satyagraha – Rahul Gandhi’.