National Herald case: After 10 hours of questioning, ED asks Rahul Gandhi to rejoin probe today

New Delhi, Jun 13: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday was asked to appear before it again on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper.

He left the ED office around 11.10 pm on Monday after questioning. Gandhi, who entered the headquarters of the federal agency in central Delhi around 11.10 am, was put to questioning about 20 minutes later after he finished some brief legal proceedings and marked his attendance.

He was allowed by the ED to leave for lunch around 2:10 pm and he returned for the questioning around 3:30 pm, officials said.

"Congress party will come on the streets tomorrow as well. Law is the same for everyone, but questioning someone till 12 midnight is wrong. Which crime or money laundering has taken place? Where there is loot of trillions, they do not inquire," said Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.

"The way in which ED is handling this matter, the number of hours Rahul Gandhi was questioned & has been called tomorrow again, this smells of agenda of political vendetta... The voice of Rahul Gandhi & Congress will not be silenced by these actions," said Congress MP Deepender S Hooda.

The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper.

The National Herald is published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.

Hundreds of Congress workers in Delhi took to the streets and several senior leaders were detained amid a massive show of strength by the party which had called for the Satyagraha march against the ED's questioning of Rahul Gandhi in a money-laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper.

The Delhi Police on Monday detained 459 Congress workers and senior leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, K C Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge, for not following police directions for the maintenance of law and order in the national capital.

The opposition party alleged that some of its leaders were manhandled by the police and lashed out at the government for "not allowing" peaceful protests.