ED questions Rahul: Congress leaders detained in Gujarat during protests

The Gujarat Congress on Friday protested across the state against the Union government and the Enforcement Directorate for questioning Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

The Congress has been protesting across the country against ED issuing summons to party leader Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money-laundering case. Gandhi (51) had spent almost 30 hours with the ED sleuths from Monday to Wednesday during which he was questioned and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in Young Indian Private Limited, promoted by the Congress, that owns the National Herald newspaper. The newspaper is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian.

While the protests remained peaceful in most parts of the state, several Congress workers were detained in Vadodara and Surat for a brief period, said police.

MLAs and local leaders holding banners and placards gathered at public places in major cities and towns in all 33 districts in Gujarat in support of Gandhi, party functionaries said.

In Ahmedabad, local MLAs Shailesh Parmar, Himmatsinh Patel and Imran Khedavala led the sit-in protest at Sarangpur Circle, while in Vadodara, police detained city president Rutvij Joshi, Leader of Opposition in Vadodara Municipal Corporation Ami Ravat and 10 others for holding protests against the BJP at Race Course Circle.

Some Congress leaders in Surat city too were briefly detained for taking part in protests, they said.

On Thursday, a Congress delegation had called on Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat in Gandhinagar to register their protest against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate and police action at AICC headquarters in Delhi.

As per the party's state unit president Jagdish Thakor, the ED case against Rahul Gandhi was frivolous and was aimed at torturing and harassing him.