Congress protests over Sonia Gandhi’s questioning, several leaders detained

New Delhi, July 21: Senior Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, and others were detained by Delhi Police on Thursday while they were protesting over Enforcement Directorate's (ED) probe against party chief Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case.

"We are being taken by the police to an unknown destination. Two other police buses full of MPs and other party colleagues are there. We are trying to head God knows where. The government is misusing its official machinery.. we are very disappointed seeing the government functioning this way," Shashi Tharoor said in a video statement issued from the bus in which the Congress leaders were packed.

Speaking from inside a Delhi Police bus full of ⁦@INCIndia⁩ colleagues who have been detained & are being taken to an unknown destination for protesting the Government’s political vendetta against the Opposition pic.twitter.com/0wdTA9aRmk

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 21, 2022

"They (ruling party) want to show how powerful they are. We have raised the issue of inflation in Parliament but they are not ready for discussion. We're now raising the issue of misuse of central probe agencies," said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

"The kind of personality and aura she (Sonia Gandhi) has and since she is more than 70 years old, ED should have gone to her house for investigation. I want to meet the chief of ED and CBI and tell them what people are thinking about central agencies," Ashok Gehlot said.

Major updates

• A clash-like situation has broken out in Guwahati where Congress workers are protesting against Sonia's questioning.
• Water cannons being used at Congress workers protesting over ED probe against party chief Sonia Gandhi in National Herald case.
• Congress MPs protest in Parliament against the Central government over the questioning of party president Sonia Gandhi by the ED.
• Youth Congress functionaries protesting in Bengaluru against Congress president Sonia Gandhi's ED questioning set a car on fire.

Sonia Gandhi is appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today in connection with the National Herald case. This is the first time that any federal probe agency will be questioning the Congress president.

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.

However, Congress has dubbed the probe as the ruling BJP's political vendetta. It has described its agitation against the ED's probe against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul in the National Herald case as "satyagrah", a form of protest associated with Mahatma Gandhi.