ED heat on Rahul Gandhi: Congress leaders cite interruption of political activities, ‘warn’ Central Government

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 15

As Rahul Gandhi faced Enforcement Directorate heat for the third straight day, top Congress leaders alleged interruption of political activities at the hands of Delhi Police and “warned” the Central Government against preventing workers from entering the AICC office.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, AICC general secretaries Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik, in a joint press conference this morning said “enough was enough.”

Gehlot said “eight years of the BJP Government would be written as a black chapter in national history”, adding that party workers were not being allowed to enter party headquarters.

“The government will have to face consequences of this,” said Gehlot, adding that their staffers were not allowed to enter the AICC office.

Baghel said the atmosphere in the country was for everyone to see.

“I could not bring our staff inside the AICC headquarters. Political activists cannot enter their party office. This is happening for the first time in the country, and all this because Rahul Gandhi has been raising questions on the decisions of the government and flagging people’s concerns. Even their nationalism is imported and any voice that questions them is crushed,” Baghel said.

The Chhattisgarh CM said the government can suppress only till a limit.

All limits have been crossed, he said as Maken “warned the government against trying to block democratic activities.”

Outside the AICC headquarters, Delhi Police took several party leaders into preventive detention for breaking prohibitory orders in central Delhi.

Gehlot also cited the recent “bulldozer drive in UP” and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call for peace and end of violence.

Gehlot said the Congress will see if it needs to meet the President and PM on the issue.

Surjewala, meanwhile, dared the ED to allow cameras to be installed in Rahul Gandhi’s interrogation room. “There are no questions. This is an ED façade. Let ED allow cameras inside and let the country see,” Surjewala said.

ED sources, meanwhile, said Gandhi was taking too long to finalise recorded statements and was repeatedly seeking edits.

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