Mumbai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reached the Enforcement Directorate office in New Delhi for the second day of questioning. He reached the Congress party office in Delhi along with sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra amid sloganeering by party members. Several senior leaders, including KC Venugopal, who was manhandled by the Delhi Police on Monday, also accompanied Gandhi at the party office.
Police and paramilitary forces have been deployment in large numbers around the Congress’ main Delhi office. Several barricades have been placed to prevent movement towards the party’s Akbar Road office.
Srinivas BV, president of the Indian Youth Congress, has been detained.
The interrogation began at 11 am and the first round of questioning concluded at around 2.15 pm for a lunch break. The Congress leader returned to his residence followed by his visit to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the national capital where his mother and party interim president Sonia Gandhi is admitted due to COVID-related issues.
Rahul Gandhi's questioning resumed the probe for the second round at around 3.45 pm on June 13.
While speaking on the matter yesterday, Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who is also in Delhi to extend support to Gandhi, said, "This kind of behaviour is not good. People will not like it. Nobody should have any objection if the law will take its own course. But we object to the misuse of ED, CBI and IT that is being done."
"We should follow the course of law, only then will the nation function. Law should be equal for everyone. But the targetted summons being sent to leaders, in poll-bound states, Income Tax, ED, and Central Bureau of Investigation raids take place. That is wrong," he added.
Congress leaders and workers, as a show of strength, staged protests by holding placards at AICC headquarters in New Delhi over the summons. Various leaders including Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot took part in the party's Satyagraha march.
Following the day-long protest, the Congress party said that senior leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram suffered a fracture in his left rib after he was pushed away by Delhi Police during the party's protest in support of Rahul Gandhi.
Taking to Twitter, Chidambaram said, " When three big, burly policemen crash into you, you are lucky to get away with a suspected hairline crack! Doctors have said that if there is a hairline crack, it will heal by itself in about 10 days. I am fine and I will go about my work tomorrow."
