Lakhimpur: The Lakhimpur District Congress Committee (LDCC) on Friday protested against the alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by the BJP-led Union Government and the issuance of summon to Sonia Gandhi in connection with the money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.
Notably, the Enforcement Directorate summoned Congress president Sonia Gandhi for recording her statement on July 21 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper. Report said that Gandhi, who was to appear on June 23, had earlier written to the ED seeking a postponement to fully recover from her COVID-related issues. The agency had issued the first summons to her for June 8. However, she tested positive for COVID-19 on June 2. She had to be hospitalized on June 12 due to infection in the respiratory tract and nasal bleeding.
In this regard, more than 300 members and activists of the LDCC, district unit of Youth Congress, Mahila Congress, NSUI Sewa Dal, led by LDCC president Gagan Chandra Borah, general secretary (administrative) Gangajyoti Tayegam, took out a protest rally in North Lakhimpur township. During the course of the rally, the protesters shouted slogans to stop intervention over the freedom and impartiality of Enforcement Directorate and to stop harassment over Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
LDCC alleged, "The Union Government has misused the independent agencies, like Enforcement Directorate, for their selfish interests. The Union Government has also issued threats to the opposition leaders so that they stop becoming vocal against the burning problems of the nation. As a part of it, All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi and MP Rahul Gandhi have been harassed unjustly in the name of the National Herald newspaper case."
By initiating the protest programme, LDCC submitted a memorandum to the President of India to draw his attention to the alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate by the BJP-led Union Government and to seek his intervention in this regard. The memorandum said, "Enforcement Directorate has summoned AICC president Sonia Gandhi on July 21 for an issue pertaining to National Herald. National Herald is a newspaper started by Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and other eminent leaders of India in the year 1937 to give voice to the freedom movement in the country. The BJP government is trying to falsely imply that giving loan to National Herald is a crime. The BJP cannot muzzle the voice of the people. It is completely a political vendetta of the BJP against Congress leaders and our party."
Through the same memorandum, the members of the Congress party fervently urged upon the President to intervene in the matter so that no political party should be allowed to misuse the democratic institutions of the country. "The values of democracy and the Constitution of India founded by our forefathers need to be safeguarded," the memorandum added.
TINSUKIA: The Tinsukia District Congress Committee (TDCC) has sought immediate intervention of the President of India in respect of 'unnecessary harassment' meted to AICC president Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate on the issue pertaining to the National Herald.
In a memorandum to the President of India, the TDCC alleged that the BJP-led Union Government conspired to tarnish the good image of their leaders. By misusing ED, CBI, NIA etc the BJP cannot muzzle the voice of people, the memo stated, adding further that no political party should be allowed to misuse the democratic institutions of the country.
Meanwhile, the TDCC took out a rally on Friday in protest against BJP's alleged conspiracy to tarnish the clean image of Sonia Gandhi from Congress Bhavan to the office of Circle Officer Tinsukia and presented the memorandum. TDCC president Jiban Kurmi, APCC vice-president and former Chabua MLA, Raju Sahu, Tinsukia observer APCC Ajay Kumar Gogoi, and other leaders participated in the rally.
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