Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the second day of questioning on Tuesday in connection with money-laundering linked to the National Herald newspaper case. To avoid any untoward incident, Section 144 has been imposed in and around Akbar Road in Delhi.
The Congress party's headquarters in situated at Akbar Road and security forces have been deployed from the road till the ED office in central Delhi.
Also, Akbar Road has been barricaded to avoid repeat of scenes that were witnessed on Monday when Congress leaders, workers and supporters congregated in large number and raised slogans in support of Rahul Gandhi.
Congress, meanwhile, continues to protest in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi. The Delhi Traffic Police on Tuesday issued a fresh advisory for commuters in the national capital in wake of the probable protest marches that are expected to be carried out by party workers in support of Rahul Gandhi.
In a tweet, Delhi Traffic Police have asked commuters to avoid Motilal Nehru Marg, Akbar Road, Janpath, Man Singh Road, Gol Methi junction, Tughlak Road Junction, Claridges Junction, Q-point Junction, Sunehri Masjid Junction, Maulana Azad Road Junction between
between 7 am to 12 noon.
Police asked people to avoid these roads in the capital "due to special arrangements traffic movement will not be possible on these roads."
Kindly avoid Motilal Nehru Marg, Akbar Road, Janpath & Man Singh Road between 0700 hrs & 1200 hrs. Due to special arrangements traffic movement will not be possible on these roads.
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) June 12, 2022
Also, due to special traffic arrangements inwards movement of buses have been restricted in New Delhi beyond Gol Dak Khana Junction, Patel Chowk, Windsor Place, Teen Murti Chowk, Prithviraj Road.
On Monday, hundreds of Congress workers had taken to the streets in the national capital in a massive show of strength against the ED's questioning of Rahul Gandhi.
Calling it 'Satyagraha' march, Congress had lashed out at the government for "not allowing" peaceful protests.
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the ED on Monday at 11:10 am. He was accompanied by a large number of Congress leaders including sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. He was escorted by armed CRPF personnel.
From the party headquarters on Akbar Road to the ED office, Rahul Gandhi took a convoy of seven cars after walking for some distance with his supporters.
Also Read: National Herald case: Rahul Gandhi questioned by ED for over 10 hours, summoned again today
He was questioned for over 10 hours by the ED on Monday and was called to depose again on Tuesday.
In April, the central probe agency questioned senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal as part of the investigation.
The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of the investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL.
The ED has recently 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 based on a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
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.
In February, 2021, the Delhi High Court had issued a notice to the Gandhis for their response to Swamy's plea seeking to lead evidence in the matter before the trial court.
The Gandhis had secured separate bails from the court in 2015 after they furnished personal bonds of Rs 50,000 and one surety. They contended in the Delhi High Court that the plea by Swamy was "misconceived and premature".
The other accused in the case filed by Swamy are close Gandhi aides Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda.
With inputs from agencies
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