Cops deployed outside Sonia, Rahul's residences; AICC HQs 'under siege', claims Cong

New Delhi, Aug 03: Shortly after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday temporarily sealed the premises of Young Indian (YI) in the Congress-owned National Herald office in Delhi, police forces have been deployed outside the residences of Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi along with the AICC headquarters.

Responding to the latest development, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said Delhi Police blocking the road to AICC Headquarters has become a norm rather than an exception. "Why have they just done so is mysterious," he said on Twitter.

He then lashed out at the Centre accusing the cops of surrounding the party headquarters along with the residences of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. "@INCIndia is under siege. Delhi police has surrounded our HQs, and homes of INC President & ex-President.This is the worst form of vendetta politics. We will not submit! We will not be silenced! We will continue to raise our voice against injustices and failures of Modi Sarkar!" he tweeted.

The barricades were later removed.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called the situation an "undeclared emergency". "Turning Congress HQ & 10 Janpath into a Police cantonment is undeclared emergency.National Herald(Young Indian)office forcefully sealed. If public doesn't stand with Congress against this dictatorial govt, results will have to be brunt by entire country," he tweeted.

However, the Delhi Police said that the personnel has been deputed to avoid any untoward situation.

"We have received inputs from our special branch that some protesters might gather at the Congress Office situated on Akbar Road. So, as a preventive measure, we have put barricades and deputed our personnel to avoid any untoward situation," a senior police official told PTI.

In a tweet in Hindi, the Congress said, "The voice of truth will not be afraid of police guards. Gandhi's followers will fight and win from this darkness." Sealing the office of the National Herald, bringing the Congress headquarters under police guards show both the "fear and frustration of the dictator", the party said, adding that questions of inflation and unemployment will still be asked.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday temporarily sealed the premises of Young Indian as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation.

It was sealed as there was no one available in the office during the search. "It is hereby ordered that this premise not be opened without prior permission from the Directorate of Enforcement," the notice read.

The temporary seal has been put in order to "preserve the evidence" which could not be collected as authorised representatives were not present during the raids on Tuesday, sources informed PTI.

The rest of the National Herald office is open for use, the sources added.

It comes a day after the central agency raided the head office of the Congress party-owned National Herald newspaper and 11 other locations as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation, officials said, a week after it questioned Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.