Congress has alleged that the questioning is part of the ruling BJP's "vendetta politics".
Ahead of the second day of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate, the Congress again slammed the BJP-led Centre and accused it of using the probe agency as an "election management department" which it claimed has lodged over 5,000 cases to intimidate political adversaries. Senior leader Randeep Singh Surjewala jibed Union Home Minister Amit Shah with a "chronology samajhiye" remark and posed four questions for the Centre.
"Understand the chronology -- the BJP has attacked Rahul Gandhi because he raises the voice of the people," Mr Surjewala said, and listed out the former Congress president's criticism of the Centre's decisions.
BJP hit back, with spokesperson Sambit Patra accusing the Gandhi family of usurping public property. "Mr Surjewala said to understand the chronology, we are saying the same - the chronology is that thousands of crores worth of land that belongs to the people of India is with AJL, which was not Congress's property. The way the mother and son (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi) usurped the people's property through dealings between AJL and another company called Young Indian is the correct chronology. This is a chronology of corruption," he said.
Rahul Gandhi asked tough questions of the Centre on the Chinese encroachment, rising inflation, handling of the pandemic, the migrant workers' plight during lockdowns, farmers' protests and "communal unrest being fanned by the BJP", Mr Surjewala said, claiming that the government fears Mr Gandhi and that's the only reason it is 'targetting' him. Congress had yesterday rubbished allegations of money laundering linked to the National Herald case, calling it a 'witch-hunt'.
The BJP is using the media and 'WhatsApp university' to spread lies and attack the opposition, Mr Surjewala said, as it's trying to silence Rahul Gandhi whose questions are getting too uncomfortable for the ruling dispensation.
He credited Rahul Gandhi's "constant pressure" for the repeal of the three contentious farm laws, and also the government making Covid vaccination free. Mr Surjewala said Mr Gandhi stood by migrant labourers during the crisis triggered by strict lockdowns, publicly supported and stood by farmers in their protest when the BJP was calling them "terrorists", and is also the only one speaking against "communal unrest being created by the BJP".
Directly attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Surjewala said he is acting as an "agent of friendly industrialists" and getting them contracts abroad. He mentioned the row over Rafale jets and recent reports claiming the PM asked for the Adani group to be preferred for contracts in Sri Lanka.
"Rahul Gandhi looks the government in its eyes and raises questions...This attack is on the jobless, poor, youth and all other vulnerable sections of the society, and not just on Mr Gandhi and Congress," he said.
He then accused the Centre of strategically deploying the ED to target opposition leaders when they go against the BJP, and pulling it back when the leaders switch sides and join the ruling party.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was not called by ED and CBI once he switched to BJP. BS Yeddyurappa has cases against him but no summons to him...No summons to Narayan Rane...Raman Singh, Mukul Roy, Suvendu Adhikari all similar cases. The moment you join the BJP, you become innocent," he said.
Rahul Gandhi was questioned for more than ten hours yesterday by the ED. Sources said he has been summoned again today for further questioning.
The Congress has alleged that the questioning is part of the ruling BJP's "vendetta politics".
Mr Gandhi's questioning started this morning amid a police crackdown on a massive Congress protest.
The Congress had planned protests across the country outside the offices of the Enforcement Directorate. In Delhi, senior leaders including party MPs were to march with Mr Gandhi from the party office to the offices of the Enforcement Directorate.
But the Delhi Police, which had refused permission for the protest march last evening, started action early this morning, rounding up Congress workers and leaders.
With the police barricading the ED office, the top leaders who accompanied Mr Gandhi sat in protest outside the barricade after he went in.
Shortly after, many leaders, including P Chidambaram, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhari, KC Venugopal, Deepender Hooda and Jairam Ramesh were detained and ferried to the police station on buses.