Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi will join the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the National Herald case on June 8.
ED on Wednesday summoned Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over the National Herald case, which was closed by the investigating agency in 2015.
Breifing mediapersons, Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala said, "Started the National Herald newspaper in 1942, at that time the British tried to suppress it, today Modi govt is also doing the same and ED is being used for this. ED has given notice to our president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi."
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said, "Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi will go to ED office on June 8."
The federal agency's move followed the questioning of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Treasurer Pawan Bansal in April this year in New Delhi in connection with its money laundering probe into the National Herald case.
The agency then recorded the statements of both the Congress leaders then under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The National Herald is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL). While Kharge is the CEO of YIL, Bansal is the Managing Director of AJL.
The ED is currently investigating the shareholding pattern and financial transactions as well as the role of party functionaries in the functioning of AJL and YIL.
The YIL promoters include Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to the Congress.
He had filed a complaint with a Delhi court earlier. Following the court taking cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against YIL on Swamy's petition, the ED also registered a fresh case under PMLA.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been summoned by the ED in connection with the National Herald case, has requested the probe agency to give him some more time to join the investigation.
Rahul Gandhi has been summoned on Thursday (June 2). Soon after receiving the summon, Rahul Gandhi wrote to the ED saying he won't be able to join the probe tomorrow (Thursday).