Congress compares BJP rule to British Raj as ED summons Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi in National Herald case

New Delhi: The Congress party likened the BJP rule with the British Raj after the Enforcement Directorate sent summons to the party president Sonia Gandhi and MP Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The agency summoned the Congress stalwarts on June 8. Randeep Surjewala, the party's spokesperson, said the Narendra Modi government was suppressing the National Herald newspaper like the British before Independence.

"We started the National Herald newspaper in 1942. At that time the British tried to suppress it. Today the Modi government is also doing the same and the ED is being used for this. ED has given notice to our president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi," Surjewala said.

The agency registered the case recently alleging financial irregularities in the company Young Indian which owns the National Herald newspaper. It wants to record the statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Enforcement Directorate recently questioned Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal in the case. The agency wants to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the holding companies.

The agency registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

BJP MP Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian Pvt Ltd paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.

With inputs from PTI

With inputs from PTI