Even as Congress workers and leaders hit the streets across several states on Thursday in protest against what Congress calls ‘vendetta politics’ of the BJP, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) interrogators are finding Rahul Gandhi a tough nut to crack. Though the Congress MP from Wayanad has been grilled over three days, he has revealed little to his interrogators, sources in the ED privy to his interrogation told The Daily Guardian Review.
In the course of the interrogation, clocking 30 hours, ED officials have asked about 45 questions so far. Sources in the central investigating agency revealed that Rahul has denied any personal knowledge of all transactions that are being investigated by the ED for alleged money laundering. He has denied having any knowledge of the loans or accommodation entries taken by the Young Indian, blaming everything on Motilal Vora, former veteran Congress leader and treasurer, who is no more.
Rahul informed his interrogators that Vora was the authorized signatory and was responsible for all financial and business transactions pertaining to the Young Indian’s acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald. According to sources, Rahul has denied of having any knowledge of loans or transactions in the case.
Rahul and his mother Sonia Gandhi together hold 76% stake in Young Indian and Vora and Oscar Fernandes 12% each.
The Congress leader also told the agency that not a single penny was taken out of Young Indian and that it was a not-for-profit company incorporated under special provisions of Section 25 of Companies Act and it had not done any wrongdoings.
Agency has asked Rahul to submit proof and documents to show if any charitable work was done by Young Indian, because no charitable work was done since the company was formed in 2010, said ED sources. He was further asked in which circumstances AJL was acquired by Young Indian in 2010.
The ED officials also asked him about a loan of Rs 1 crore granted to Young Indian by Kolkata-based Dotex Merchandise, a company owned by the RPG Group, which is also under investigation by the agency. This loan was never returned as the money was used by Young Indian to take control of AJL.
On Wednesday, he was asked by ED officials to join investigation on Friday, but Rahul sought time till Monday on account of illness of his mother Sonia who is receiving treatment at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.