BLOWS AND BLOWBACKS

The Enforcement Directorate’s aggressive moves have set off a political and legal slugfest. Is the agency really acting at the Union government’s behest, as the opposition alleges?

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

Mystique has long surrounded the Gandhis of the Congress, helping them survive many a political upheaval in India. That mystique, however, suffered a major blow when the Enforcement Directorate—the agency under the Union ministry of finance tasked with investigating money laundering cases and violations of foreign exchange regulations—summoned Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi. The summonses were stamped and barcoded, and uploaded to the ED’s official website, so that both leaders could verify the authenticity of the documents.

The ED began issuing digitally verifiable summonses after complaints arose of people getting forged notices. Since the Gandhis were the first family of the Congress, the agency was extra cautious. It wanted to question Sonia and Rahul at its new, swanky headquarters—Pravartan Bhawan, on Abdul Kalam Road in Delhi. They are to be grilled in connection with their alleged role in a case related to the transfer of shares of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the holding company that publishes the newspaper National Herald, to another company called Young Indian Ltd.

Being a woman, Sonia could have asked ED officials to come to her residence for questioning. The rules permitted it, but she informed the ED that she would visit the headquarters on June 8, knowing fully well the political significance of such a move. Rahul wrote to the agency saying he was travelling; his questioning was postponed to June 13. Before Sonia, 75, could visit the ED office, though, she contracted Covid. She mailed the ED on the night of June 7, seeking postponement. Her advisers say she is determined on visiting Pravartan Bhawan.