Union Minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani described the street protests launched by the Congress on their leader Rahul Gandhi's being summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as a move undertaken "to pressure an investigating agency openly" because "their corruption has been exposed" and an attempt to "protect the assets of the Gandhi family".
Addressing a press conference at the BJP's national headquarters, Ms. Irani, said, "Congress leaders have taken to the streets to pressure an investigating agency openly because their corruption has been exposed."
"The impasse that Congress leaders and workers are doing today on the call of Rahul Gandhi, I would like to tell the country that this is not an attempt to save democracy, but an attempt to protect the assets of the Gandhi family worth ₹2,000 crore," Ms. Irani said.
The Minister said that in the 1930s, the company Associate Journals Limited was formed with funds from 5,000 freedom fighters as shareholders. "Today, a company that was to be run by freedom fighters has been usurped by the Gandhi family," she said.
‘Fascinated by real estate’
"Today, I will draw the attention of those who want to put pressure on the investigation agency, on the sentence of a 2019 judgment of the Delhi High Court, 'The ownership of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi ji over the AGL is an attempt to illegally take possession of the property'," she added. Ms. Irani further alleged that the entire Gandhi family was fascinated by real estate.
"Why is Gandhi family interested in a former newspaper publishing company which is now running real estate business...This shows that not just 'Jijaji' [Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra] but the entire Gandhi family is fascinated by real estate," she added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gandhi appeared before the ED office in Delhi in connection with the National Herald case.
Earlier, the Congress leader surrounded by hundreds of party workers marched to the ED office to appear before the agency from the party headquarters.
The Delhi police also detained Congress workers, including Adhir Ranjan Chaudhari, and K.C. Venugopal among other MPs, protesting in the national capital in support of Mr. Gandhi.
