Senior Congress leaders including Surjewala, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury protesting ED probe against Rahul detained

In a repeat of Monday, Congress leaders attempted to march to the ED office but police thwarted their attempt by barricading roads

Delhi Police on Tuesday detained senior Congress leaders including Randeep Surjewala, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, KC Venugopal, Manickam Tagore and others as Rahul Gandhi made his second appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case.

Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the ED for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in the National Herald money-laundering case, with the grand old party calling the agency action vendetta politics of the Centre against opposition leaders.

Gandhi (51) arrived at the E headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi around 11:05 am, accompanied by his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. His questioning began at 11:30 am after the completion of legal formalities, officials said.

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In what was a repeat of Monday, Congress leaders and workers attempted to march to the ED office for a "peaceful satyagraha" against the misuse of central agencies but police thwarted their attempt by barricading roads, preventing them from reaching the Congress office and detaining a large number. They were taken to Tughlak Road Police Station.

Those detained included Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, MPs Manickam Tagore, Ranjeet Ranjan, Deepender Hooda and Imran Pratapgarhi, senior leader PL Punia, AICC Secretary Vineet Punia, Uttarakhand MLA Qazi Mohammed among others.

Tagore and Punia alleged that they were not allowed to even go to the Congress office and were forcefully detained and taken to Mandir Marg police station.

In a video taken by Tagore in a moving bus with other detained leaders, he said, "The police misbehaved with us and we are being taken to an unknown destination. The power of Amit Shah cannot stop us."

All approach roads leading to the ED office were out of bounds for the public as barricades were put up and central anti-riot police force RAF and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed, who detained hundreds of Congress leaders and supporters outside the party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road and around central Delhi.

Delhi Police personnel were deployed in huge numbers and section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was imposed around the agency's office.

(With PTI inputs)