Bhopal: BJP National President JP Nadda addresses a press conference
Highlights
- BJP National President JP Nadda reacted to the ED notice to Sonia-Rahul Gandhi.
- Sonia Gandhi has been asked to depose before the federal agency on June 8.
- Rahul Gandhi has been asked to appear on Thursday (June 2).
Sonia Gandhi-Rahul Gandhi summoned by ED: Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda on Wednesday took a dig at Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi after they received a summon from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over the National Herald case, which was closed by the investigating agency in 2015.
Speaking to reporters, Nadda said, "Have you ever seen a criminal say I'm criminal? They'll (Sonia-Rahul Gandhi) of course deny it. Documents are proof. If a charge sheet is filed, you'd approach the court to get it quashed, but they sought bail. It means they're guilty."
While Sonia Gandhi, 75, has been asked to depose before the federal agency at its headquarters in central Delhi on June 8, Rahul Gandhi has been asked to appear on Thursday (June 2). Rahul Gandhi, 51, has written to the probe agency to postpone the date to after June 5 as he is not in the country, Singhvi and another Congress leader Randeep Surjewala told reporters.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told at a press conference that Sonia Gandhi will comply with the summons. "The Modi government should know that by registering such fake and fabricated cases, they cannot succeed in their cowardly conspiracy," Singhvi said. The case to probe alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper was registered recently.
The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of the ED's investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials said.
The agency registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
(With PTI Inputs)
