Mumbai: Congress workers on Friday staged protests across Maharashtra over ED action against Rahul Gandhi and accused the BJP-led Union government of harassing political rivals.
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.
Protests were held in all districts, while the women’s wing of the party agitated in front of the Enforcement Directorate office in Mumbai.
The Narendra Modi government is misusing Central probe agencies to suppress the voices of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, a statement from the party said.
There is intense dissatisfaction among Congress workers against the repression of the BJP government, it added.
“A women’s march was taken out from GPO near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to the ED office under the leadership of Pradesh Congress women president Sandhya Sawalakhe. A large number of women were present in the protest. All of them were detained by the police. A morcha was held at the Bharatiya Janata Party office at Nariman Point in Mumbai under the leadership of Pawan Yadav, president of the Congress transgender cell,” the statement said.
Agitations were held in Latur, Nanded, Kolhapur, Solapur, Dhule, Amravati, Nagpur, Nashik, Panvel, Raigad, Alibag, Chandrapur, Aurangabad, Kalyan Dombivali and Sangamner, the statement added.
Among those who took part were state unit working president Praniti Shinde, MLA Kunal Patil, Minister of State Satej Patil, MLA Balu Dhanorkar, Sudhir Tambe, Rituraj Patil, Dhiraj Deshmukh.
The agitation will intensify if the Centre does not stop such repression, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole asserted.
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