ED grills Sonia Gandhi: Congress workers face water cannons, clash with cops

Congress workers in various states hit the streets on Thursday against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons to Congress's interim president Sonia Gandhi in National Herald case. Many workers were detained during the protest, while the Delhi Police used water cannons to disperse protesters.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot and others including Sachin Pilot have been detained. "It is happening for the first time in the country that they are stopping dharna demonstration...," Gehlot said.

"There is misuse of agencies in the country... it's our right to protest in a democracy, but it is also being crushed...," Pilot said.

Carrying large banners saying "stop misuse of ED", Congress leaders also held a march inside the Parliament complex in a show of strength against questioning of Sonia by the ED.

The protests are being held in various parts of the nation.

Delhi:

Party MPs and Congress Working Committee (CWC) members "courted mass arrest" outside the AICC headquarters here on Thursday in a show of collective solidarity with her. The Delhi Congress also staged a protest outside Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's residence.

"All Congress MPs and CWC members have courted mass arrest outside our party HQs in a show of collective solidarity with Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi, a target of Vishguru's political vendetta," party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.

"We are being taken away to a police station in Old Delhi evidently," he added.

Traffic came to a standstill in and around central Delhi on Thursday morning due to diversions put in place owing to a Congress protest and the Kanwar Yatra coupled with waterlogging on arterial stretches.

Uttarakhand:

Led by Uttarakhand party president Karan Mahara, Leader of Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Yashpal Arya, Vikasnagar MLA Pritam Singh and Khatima MLA Bhuvan Chandra Kapri, among other party leaders, took part in the march from the party office at Rajpur Road to the ED office. They raised slogans against the BJP-led central government and accused it of murdering democracy. They demanded that the Centre stop misusing investigation agencies like the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Goa:

Goa unit of Congress staged a protest in the capital city against summoning of party interim president Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald case. Holding placards, the Congress leaders and supporters raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reopening the case.

Terming it political vendetta and dictatorship of the BJP government, GPCC President Amit Patkar said: "This is a political vendetta by the BJP. They are trying to finish opposition in the country. They have no answer for the questions and issues we raise," Patkar said. "At present Inflation is at high, LPG, Petrol prices are increasing. BJP has no solution for this. However, it is busy suppressing voice. BJP should stop it", he said.

Nagpur:

A number of Congress workers were detained after they protested outside the Enforcement Directorate's office here on Thursday against its summons to party president Sonia Gandhi in a money laundering case. A large number of Congress workers gathered outside the ED's office in Seminary Hills area of Maharashtra's Nagpur city to express solidarity with Gandhi, and raised slogans against the central government. They also tried to barge into the ED office, but police prevented them from doing so and detained them. Senior Congress leader and former state minister Sunil Kedar, who led the protest, said, "It is very unfortunate that a leader like Sonia Gandhiji has been being called by the ED. This is pathetic state of affairs in the country."

Assam:

A clash-like situation broke out between Police and Guwahati Congress workers who were detained in the wake of protest over ED probe against Sonia Gandhi.

Gandhi is deposing on the third summons as she sought exemption on earlier dates of June 8 and June 23 owing to the coronavirus infection.

The ED had questioned the Congress president's son Rahul Gandhi for over 50 hours in the case in sessions spread across five days last month.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday sought ED's permission to assist her ailing mother Sonia Gandhi during her interrogation in the National Herald case. According to sources, Priyanka told the ED officials that since her mother does not keep well, she takes care of the medicines and hence her presence is required. She requested the ED officials to allow her to be present at the questioning room. Considering the Congress president's health condition, the ED has agreed to let Priyanka be around her mother but in a separate room.

Telangana:

In Hyderabad, Revanth Reddy led a rally from Indira Gandhi statue on Necklace Road to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regional office in Basheerbagh.

The Congress leaders and workers later sat on a dharna at the ED office to condemn what they call attempts by the Narendra Modi government to implicate Sonia Gandhi in a false case. They announced that the protest will continue till Sonia Gandhi comes out of the ED office in New Delhi. The rally and dharna disrupted traffic on major roads around Hussain Sagar and Basheerbagh in the heart of the city.

A large number of party workers participated in the rally. Holding party flags and placards, they raised slogans against the Modi government. Some of them were carrying black flags and black balloons.

(With inputs from agencies)