ED summoned me while Parliament in Session: Mallikarjun Kharge says Centre afraid of Congress; Goyal counters

Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge speaks in the Rajya Sabha during ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. Pic/PTI

Congress Leader Of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that the Enforcement Directorate had issued summons against him amid ongoing proceedings of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, accusing the Central government of attempting to intimidate the Congress party.

The ED has asked Kharge to appear before it in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald. Party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have already been questioned in the case over alleged evasion of tax.

Kharge stated while speaking during the Question Hour session of the Rajya Sabha.

"I received ED summon, they called me at 12.30 pm. I want to abide by law, but is it right for them to summon when Parliament is in session? Is it right for Police to gherao residences of Sonia Gandhi & Rahul Gandhi? They are doing it purposely to afraid us (Congress). We won't be scared, we'll fight," Kharge said.

Responding to Kharge's complaint, the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal said the Centre has nothing to do with it.

"The government does not interfere in the work of the law enforcement authorities. Perhaps during their tenure, when their government was there, they might be interfering," Goyal said

The union minister said that said law enforcement agencies were doing their job and acting against those who have done anything wrong.

ED on Wednesday partially sealed the offices of Young India Limited -- the firm that owns Associated Journals, which runs the outlet -- at Herald House in Delhi. Mallikarjun Kharge is the authorised representative for the company, and the sealing had to be done as he wasn't there.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in April this year examined senior Congress leader Kharge here in connection with its money laundering probe into the National Herald case and recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

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