Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday said the Enforcement Directorate questioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a money laundering probe is political vendetta by the BJP-led central government.
Speaking to reporters, Hooda said the Congress stands firmly with Gandhi and has full faith in the judiciary.
Gandhi was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Monday in a money laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper after the MP reached the agency's headquarters in Delhi accompanied by a battery of party leaders and supporters.
"The government's action against Rahul Gandhi is driven by political vendetta," said Hooda, who is the Leader of Opposition in Haryana.
"We have full faith in the judiciary and the entire Congress party stands firmly with Rahul Gandhi," he said.
The probe against Gandhi 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.
Asked about Congress leader Ajay Maken's loss in the Haryana Rajya Sabha polls, Hooda said the party is analysing the election results in detail.
"We are scrutinising (the results) to identify which Congress MLA's vote was cancelled. The counting agent of the Congress knows the ballot number of that MLA," he said.
The Congress had 31 MLAs and needed as many votes to win the Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana, but one of its legislators, Kuldeep Bishnoi, cross-voted and another's vote was cancelled.
Hooda also hit out at INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala for supporting the BJP-JJP backed Independent candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls.
"People are keeping a close eye on such MLAs," he said.
Targeting the Haryana government, Hooda said it does not have any achievement worth counting.
"The state has seen a stream of scams under this government. But this government has neither carried out a proper investigation, nor has it been able to take action against any big fish," he said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot too claimed the "arrogance" with which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been acting will come to an end.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot alleged that investigative agencies were being misused by the ruling BJP.
"The manner in which 6-7 years-old cases against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were taken up, it is evident that politics of putting pressure on political opponents is being played," he told reporters.
"Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have given a message to the country that we will not compromise, we will fight on the basis of ideology. There is so much pressure on the CBI, Income Tax, ED, DRI, judiciary that even if someone wants to work in an impartial manner, that person cannot do it," Gehlot told reporters.
"The time has come that every Indian should think about where we want to take the country to. Rahul Gandhi said in London that BJP has poured kerosene all over the country. Now you see what is happening? Riots are happening, riots are being instigated, tensions are rising," he said, hitting out at the BJP.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are walking around with ego and arrogance. Arrogance has not worked for anyone till today, it is not going to work for them either, it will end tomorrow, if not today," he said.
Prominent among those detained were Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, K C Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Rahul Gandhi, 51, arrived at the probe agency in central Delhi around 11 AM after he started from the Congress office on Akbar Road accompanied by a large convoy of party leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Gehlot and Baghel.
In view of the barricading, Gandhi took a detour to reach the probe agency's office.
This is the first time that Gandhi has appeared before a central probe agency for questioning in a case.
Congress MPs and workers had assembled at the AICC headquarters where Surjewala announced they would march peacefully towards the ED office and if they are stopped, they would court arrest.
Raising slogans in support of Gandhi, Congress workers started a march towards the ED office but were stopped by the police which had put up barricades all around the AICC office.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday accused the Modi government of "misusing" investigative agencies to "suppress the voice of the Opposition".
Taking to the media, the Chhattisgarh chief minister said the whole nation is witnessing the ruling party's "dictatorship".
"Congress workers were being stopped from reaching the party headquarters. The entire area has been cordoned off and police have been deployed all around in an attempt to crush democracy. It is the democratic right of the opposition party to hold protests and the BJP is trying to suppress the Opposition," Baghel told reporters.
The chief minister termed the action of the ED "malicious" and accused the Centre of "misusing" investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax to "suppress the voice of the Opposition".
The charges of money laundering against the Gandhi family were "baseless" and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been "falsely implicated", Baghel said.
The Congress leaders are being "harassed with political malice", he said.
"When Sonia Gandhi will appear before the ED, there will be a bigger demonstration than this," Baghel said, alleging that the BJP was indulging in "political vendetta".
"No matter how much barricading the Delhi Police does, no matter how hard they try, the truth will prevail. The BJP-led central government is only following dictatorship, no law of the land is being followed," Baghel said.
On the ED's summons to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, the chief minister said there was no illegality in the action to settle the debt of any newspaper.
Only a business restructure was done and equity was floated in order to keep the historic newspaper alive when it started going into losses, he said.
(With PTI Inputs)