NEW DELHI: Veteran Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma on Tuesday came out in support of party interim chief Sonia Gandhi as she appeared for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the third.
Sonia Gandhi earlier appeared before the ED on July 21 and July 26. She has been questioned for over eight and half hours by the agency in an alleged money laundering case involving National Herald.
Azad and Sharma, who are part of the Congress G23 who were seeking leadership change in the aftermath of the party’s continuous decline, have been conspicuous by their absence in recent times. However, Azad explained that he was not keeping well for quite some time as he highlighted the party president’s ill health.
“They (Gandhis) are one family, with one name. If you have questioned Rahul Gandhi for over 30 hours for 5 days, what is the need to question Sonia Ji? Rahul Gandhi is young, but Sonia Gandhi is not. She has been ailing for the past few years. Even young people cannot withstand the pressure of agencies,” he said.
“Sonia Gandhi is from a political family and has political knowledge. Why are they (ED) questioning Sonia Gandhi about technical things?” he added.
Citing history, Azad said that in earlier times when there were wars on the open ground both the parties used to refrain from hitting women and those ill.
“I request the government and ED, that calling (an ailing) Sonia Gandhi is not good,” Azad said. “Doctors are with her which clearly shows that she is ill. Playing with the health of Sonia Gandhi is not good,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sharma said, “There should be rule of law, not by law. Laws are being made more and more draconian, which threatens the very foundation of the Indian constitution. The facts have been in the public domain for almost one decade, those facts are there in the files of all the competent courts,” he said.
“Agencies have a right if there is any new development or evidence to ask for clarification. Rahul Gandhi was questioned for over 50 hours for five days. For the same matter calling Sonia Gandhi for the third consecutive day, you have to bear in mind her age and her health,” Sharma, the former Deputy Leader of Opposition, in Rajya Sabha said.
To a question about the Supreme Court hearing a petition on the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Sharma said, “PMLA as the law has raised concerns. SC in the past had raised apprehensions. There was a judgement on this matter and this was not taken to a logical answer. Today an important matter is listed in front of the three-judge bench of SC for PMLA.”
“PMLA is a law of economic offence. But now this law is fully weaponised. SC has also talked about a dedicated bail act and asked the government to do so. It’s time for India to have a bail act and we will wait for the SC judgment on this PMLA matter,” Sharma added.
Meanwhile, ED sources said that both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had denied any knowledge of financial transactions for Young India Private Limited (YIPL).
They had also informed the ED that all the decisions regarding financial transactions were taken by Motilal Vora, who was the treasurer.