New Delhi: Ahead of Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald money laundering case, various opposition parties on Thursday (July 21, 2022) issued a joint statement and accused the Narendra Modi-led government of “unleashing a relentless campaign” against its political opponents through “mischievous” misuse of probe agencies. Leaders of as many as 13 political parties also met at Parliament House and condemned the action. Leaders of the Congress, DMK, CPI-M, CPI, IUML, NC, TRS, MDMK, NCP, VCK, Shiv Sena, RJD and RSP were present at the meeting.
“The Modi ‘sarkar’ has unleashed a relentless campaign of vendetta against its political opponents and critics through the mischievous misuse of investigative agencies. Prominent leaders of a number of political parties have been deliberately targeted and subjected to harassment in an unprecedented manner,” the leaders charged in a joint statement.
“We condemn this and resolve to continue and intensify our collective fight against the anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-Constitution policies of the Modi ‘sarkar’ that is destroying the social fabric of our society,” they stated in the statement.
The ED has asked Sonia Gandhi to depose before it on July 21 for questioning in the National Herald newspaper-linked money-laundering case. Gandhi, 75, was first issued the notice for an appearance on June 8, but after she tested positive for Covid-19, the summons for June 23 was issued. She could not keep the second date as well because she was “strictly advised to rest at home following her hospitalization on account of Covid-19 and a lung infection”.
As Sonia Gandhi appears before ED, Congress stages protests
The Congress is currently holding protests across the country against the questioning of its chief Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday. Similar protests were held when her son and former party president Rahul Gandhi was quizzed by the agency in June in the case.
A meeting of senior party leaders was also held at the residence of Mallikarjun Kharge to chalk out the party’s strategy for dealing with the “misuse” of the ED against Sonia Gandhi by the Modi government.
Congress leaders and workers will also be staging such protests outside offices of the Enforcement Directorate in different state capitals, the grand old party had said on Wednesday.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply