The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday summoned Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party MP Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The ED will question Rahul on June 2 and Sonia will be summoned on June 8.

The case was closed by the investigating agency in 2015, said official sources.

The National Herald newspaper was started by former prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. Accusing the Narendra Modi government of using the ED, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "The National Herald newspaper was started in 1942. At that time the British tried to suppress it, today the Modi government is also doing the same and ED is being used for this. ED has given notice to our president Sonia Gandhi and leader Rahul Gandhi."

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference that Sonia Gandhi will comply with the summons. "Rahul Gandhi will go if he is here or he may seek a fresh date," Singhvi added.

A case to probe alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper was registered recently. The agency, officials said, wants to record the statements of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The National Herald is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and is owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited. The agency had recently questioned senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal. The questioning of the Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of ED's probe to understand the share-holding pattern, financial transactions, and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials said. The agency filed a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

The first family of the Congress party, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.

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.

With inputs from PTI

First Published:Jun 1, 2022 2:14 PM IST