A day before Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is supposed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), she has written to the ED to seek postponement of her appearance by a few weeks on grounds of poor health.
Sonia has been summoned by the ED on Thursday in the National Herald case. She has sought a few weeks' time to completely recover from her recent Covid-19 infection and a lung infection.
Sonia was discharged from the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi on Monday and was advised rest at home, according to her party. Her son and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has had five sessions of questioninig in the case, clocking around 50 hours at the ED office.
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After being initially summoned on June 8, Sonia was issued a fresh summon for June 23 after she sought more time in view of her Covid-19 infection. She was admitted to the hospital on June 12.
The ED will record Sonia's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED investigation pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited (YIL), which owns the National Herald newspaper.
While Sonia is yet to appear before the ED, the agency is understood to be asking her son Rahul about the incorporation of the YIL, operations of the National Herald, the loan given by the Congress party to the newspaper's publisher Associated Journals Limited (AJL), and the transfer of funds within the news media establishment.
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The Congress party has accused the Centre of targeting Opposition leaders by misusing investigative agencies and has termed the entire action a political vendetta.
(With PTI inputs)
