The Delhi police on Tuesday detained Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi amid the protests over Congress party interim President Sonia Gandhi's appearance again before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today for the second round of questioning in connection to the National Herald money laundering case.
Rahul Gandhi and other detained Congress leaders are kept at the Kingsway Police camp.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi sat in protest at Vijay Chowk with several other party MPs who also have been detained by the police following their protest march.
Congress holds protest ahead of Gandhi's appearance before ED:
The Congress is holding a Satyagraha as the party President reached the ED's office in Delhi. Speaking to the media, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said, "They're trying to harass Opposition leaders. We will fight it. We're with Sonia Gandhi & Rahul Gandhi. You can't harass us anymore."
Party General Secretary KC Venugopal issued a letter requesting the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) to hold a peaceful Satyagraha at any Gandhi statue or at any place of historical importance in their respective capital city.
Initially, she was summoned by the agency on Monday, but it was delayed by a day.
The 75-five-year-old Gandhi was questioned for over two hours during her first day of questioning in the case on July 21, where she replied to 28 questions put forth by the agency, that is probing alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.
ED summons Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi:
In February last year, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Gandhis seeking their response on Swamy's plea. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal were questioned by the ED in the case in April.
The Congress has maintained there has been no wrongdoing and Young Indian is a "not-for-profit" company established under section 25 of the Companies Act and hence there can be no question of money laundering.
It is understood that Rahul Gandhi, during his deposition before the ED, stuck to the position that there was no personal acquisition of assets by himself or his family.
According to the ED, assets worth about Rs 800 crore are "owned" by the AJL and the agency wants to know from the Gandhis how a not-for-profit company like Young Indian was undertaking commercial activities of renting out its land and building assets.
