National Herald case: Protests erupt across country over Sonia Gandhi's questioning by ED

Congress is holding nationwide protests today against the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi's questioning by the agency, in Delhi.

Meanwhile, Delhi police is cracking down on the Congress memebers who have been protesting across the national capital and other Indian cities as party's interim president Sonia Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday, July 21, in the National Herald case.

In Karnataka, a car was set on fire allegedly by Youth Congress workers, in front of ED office at Shantinagar in Bengaluru earlier today.

Visuals coming from the protest show water canons being used against Congress workers while some MPs protested in the Parliament.

Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Ajay Maken and others were detained by the police.

Protests also erupted in other parts of India. Congress party members were arrested by the police in Maharashtra's Nagpur.

Congress workers held a demonstration in Jammu and Kashmir as well.

The Congress today accused the BJP of misusing central agencies to "silence" opposition leaders.

"Be in Bengal or Rajasthan, the role of agencies and timings is very distinct. There is a conspiracy to silence us and stop us. Intent to silence the Opposition," the party said in an press conference called this morning.

In addition, the opposition parties released a joint statement condemning the BJP for "misusing central agencies."

"Modi government has unleashed a relentless vendetta against political opponents through misuse of investigative agencies by targeting prominent leaders of various parties. We will intensify our fight against the anti-people Modi Sarkar," the statement said.

Party leaders converged at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi for the protests. The leaders were seen raising slogans and extending their support to their party chief. Congress MPs may stage a protest in Parliament.

Jairam Ramesh, AICC general secretary in-charge of communication, Wednesday said the entire party would demonstrate across the country in solidarity with Sonia Gandhi, in “a most telling manner”.

“Tomorrow as the political vendetta unleashed by the Modi-Shah duo against our top leadership continues, the entire Congress party across the country will demonstrate its collective solidarity with Smt. Sonia Gandhi in a most telling manner,” he said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, other senior party leaders and MPs are already present in Delhi. They had a meeting this evening at Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's house.

Official sources said that Sonia Gandhi has been asked to depose before the investigators at the party headquarters here around 11 am on Thursday.

The fresh summon was issued as Sonia Gandhi could not join the ED investigation in the case due to COVID-19.

The ED had on June 1 summoned Sonia Gandhi to appear before its investigators on June 8 in the case for the first time in connection with a money laundering case involving the National Herald.

The ED wants to record both Sonia Gandhi's statements under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).