ED Quizzes Rahul for 2nd Consecutive Day, Congress Protests Continue

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the ED for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in the National Herald money-laundering case, with the grand old party calling the agency action vendetta politics of the Centre against opposition leaders.

Gandhi (51) arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi around 11:05 a.m, accompanied by his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Several Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, were detained for violating prohibitory orders outside the heavily barricaded party headquarters on Tuesday, day two of Rahul Gandhi being questioned by the ED.

His questioning began at 11:30 am after the completion of legal formalities, officials said.

In a similar play of events like Monday, the "Z+" category CRPF security personnel of Gandhi hanged on the footboard of his SUV as the convoy made a dash to the ED office.

Delhi Police personnel were deployed in huge numbers and Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was imposed around the agency's office.

All approach roads leading to the ED office were out of bounds for the public as barricades were put up and central anti-riot police force RAF and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed, who detained hundreds of Congress leaders and supporters outside the party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road and around central Delhi.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala and Youth Congress president Srinivas BV, among others, were rounded up and made to board police buses.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel told reporters after meeting the Gandhi siblings at the Congress headquarters that there is "no money laundering in the National Herald case and the central agencies are acting at the behest of the government".

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat said the Gandhis are being targeted and that he was stopped by police from going to the Congress office.

Gandhi, an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, spent over 10 hours at the federal agency's office on Monday, where he was questioned over multiple sessions and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Gandhi's mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is currently admitted to a hospital here due to Covid-related issues, has also been summoned by the agency for questioning in the case on June 23.

Several Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, were detained for violating prohibitory orders outside the heavily barricaded party headquarters on Tuesday, day two of Rahul Gandhi being questioned by the ED.

Congress leaders detained

Ahead of his second day of questioning, the former Congress chief joined senior party leaders at a 'dharna' at the Congress headquarters. Several Congress leaders were detained by Delhi Police and taken away to different police stations.

Among those detained were Gaurav Gogoi, Deepender Singh Hooda, Ranjeet Ranjan, Manickam Tagore and Imran Pratapgarhi.

This is the second day of the Congress' protests against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED in a money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper.

Gandhi was questioned for over 10 hours on Monday.

The Congress has said  it will not be cowed down by intimidatory tactics of arrests or "false" cases against its top leaders.