The Congress on Monday accused the Union government of imposing an “undeclared emergency” in Delhi to quell the protests against the Enforcement Directorate’s summons to party MP Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi appeared before the central agency on Monday in an alleged money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper. Several senior Congress leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel, were detained after they took part in protests against the agency in Central Delhi on Monday morning.
Congress members held demonstrations in other cities too.
Later in the day, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that former Finance Minister P Chidambaram suffered an injury in his left rib after he was manhandled by the police. Surjewala said that party MP Pramod Tiwari suffered a rib fracture and a head injury after he thrown on the street.
Chidambaram said on Twitter that his injury was a “suspected hairline crack”.
“Doctors have said that if there is a hairline crack, it will heal by itself in about 10 days,” he said.
Surjewala also alleged that the police assaulted party general secretary KC Venugopal and MP Shaktisinh Gohil. In a video, policemen could be seen dragging Venugopal away from a protest site.
“The Modi government has imposed an undeclared democracy in the entire central Delhi area,” Surjewala said at a press conference. “A scared, cowardly Modi government is trying to suppress the voice of the truth.”
The Enforcement Directorate is investigating allegations that Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi conspired to misappropriate funds through the firm Young Indian Private Limited. The firm owns the National Herald newspaper.
In April 2008, the paper suspended operations as it had incurred a debt of over Rs 90 crore. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy has accused Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of setting up Young Indian Private Limited to buy the debt using the funds from the Congress.
Surjewala on Monday said that Young Indian is a not-for-profit company, and shares of National Herald were transferred to it, so that the debt of over Rs 90 crore could be repaid. He added that from this amount, Rs 67 crore were used for salaries and retirement funds of employees and the rest was used to pay utility bills and maintenance costs.
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